Malaysia

Federal Parliamentary Constitutional MonarchyPop34.2MGDP (PPP)$1.2TCI48Beta CP−2.6↓Beta

Some figures reconciled across multiple sources via Civica's methodology (v0.2 BETA). Methodology →

Malaysia

⌘K

Overview

Background: Malaysia’s location has long made it an important cultural, economic, historical, social, and trade link between the islands of Southeast Asia and the mainland. Through the Strait of Malacca, which separates the Malay Peninsula from the archipelago, flowed maritime trade and with it influences from China, India, the Middle East, and the east coast of Africa. Prior to the 14th century, several powerful maritime empires existed in what is modern-day Malaysia, including the Srivijayan, which controlled much of the southern part of the peninsula between the 7th and 13th centuries, and the Majapahit Empire, which took control over most of the peninsula and the Malay Archipelago between the 13th and 14th centuries. The adoption of Islam between the 13th and 17th centuries also saw the rise of a number of powerful maritime states and sultanates on the Malay Peninsula and the island of Borneo, such as the port city of Malacca (Melaka), which at its height in the 15th century had a navy and hosted thousands of Chinese, Arab, Persian, and Indian merchants.

The Portuguese in the 16th century and the Dutch in the 17th century were the first European colonial powers to establish themselves on the Malay Peninsula and in Southeast Asia. However, it was the British who ultimately secured hegemony across the territory and during the late 18th and 19th centuries established colonies and protectorates in the area that is now Malaysia. Japan occupied these holdings from 1942 to 1945. In 1948, the British-ruled territories on the Malay Peninsula (except Singapore) formed the Federation of Malaya, which became independent in 1957. Malaysia was formed in 1963 when the former British colonies of Singapore, as well as Sabah and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo, joined the Federation.

A communist insurgency, confrontations with Indonesia, Philippine claims to Sabah, and Singapore's expulsion in 1965 marred the first several years of the country's independence. During the 22-year term of Prime Minister MAHATHIR Mohamad (1981-2003), Malaysia was successful in diversifying its economy from dependence on exports of raw materials to the development of manufacturing, services, and tourism. Former Prime Minister MAHATHIR and a newly formed coalition of opposition parties defeated Prime Minister Mohamed NAJIB bin Abdul Razak's United Malays National Organization (UMNO) in 2018, ending over 60 years of uninterrupted UMNO rule. From 2018-2022, Malaysia underwent considerable political upheaval, with a succession of coalition governments holding power. Following legislative elections in 2022, ANWAR Ibrahim was appointed prime minister after more than 20 years in opposition. His political coalition, Pakatan Harapan (PH), joined its longtime UNMO rival to form a government, but the two groups have remained deeply divided on many issues.

Geography

Area

Land: 328,657 sq km
Water: 1,190 sq km
Total: 329,847 sq km

Climate: tropical; annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February) monsoons
Terrain: coastal plains rising to hills and mountains

Land Use

Other: 16% (2023 est.)
Forest: 57.8% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: 26.1% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 2.4% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 22.7% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 0.9% (2023 est.)

Location: Southeastern Asia, peninsula bordering Thailand and northern one-third of the island of Borneo, bordering Indonesia, Brunei, and the South China Sea, south of Vietnam
Coastline: 4,675 km (Peninsular Malaysia 2,068 km; East Malaysia 2,607 km)

Elevation

Lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
Highest point: Gunung Kinabalu 4,095 m
Mean elevation: 419 m

Irrigated land: 4,420 sq km (2022)
Map references: Southeast Asia

Land Boundaries

Total: 2,742 km
Border countries: Brunei 266 km; Indonesia 1,881 km; Thailand 595 km

Maritime Claims

Territorial sea: 12 nm
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation; specified boundary in the South China Sea
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards: flooding; landslides; forest fires
Geography note: strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China Sea
Natural resources: tin, petroleum, timber, copper, iron ore, natural gas, bauxite
Area comparative: slightly larger than New Mexico
Geographic coordinates: 2 30 N, 112 30 E
Population distribution: a highly uneven distribution, with over 80% of the population residing on the Malay Peninsula

People & Society

Literacy

Male: 96.8% (2022 est.)
Female: 94.7% (2022 est.)
Total population: 95.8% (2022 est.)

Languages

Note: note: Malaysia has 134 languages (112 indigenous and 22 non-indigenous); in East Malaysia, there are several indigenous languages, and the most widely spoken are Iban and Kadazan
Languages: Bahasa Malaysia (official), English, Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Panjabi, Thai
Major language sample(s): Buku Fakta Dunia, sumber yang diperlukan untuk maklumat asas. (Bahasa Malaysia)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions: Muslim (official) 63.5%, Buddhist 18.7%, Christian 9.1%, Hindu 6.1%, other (Confucianism, Taoism, other traditional Chinese religions) 0.9%, none/unspecified 1.8% (2020 est.)

Sex Ratio

At birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
0 14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15 64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female

Birth rate: 14.05 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate: 5.8 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Median Age

Male: 31.7 years
Total: 32.2 years (2025 est.)
Female: 31.9 years

Population

Male: 17,833,074
Total: 34,905,275 (2025 est.)
Female: 17,072,201

Nationality

Noun: Malaysian(s)
Adjective: Malaysian

Tobacco Use

Male: 41.8% (2025 est.)
Total: 21.5% (2025 est.)
Female: 0.6% (2025 est.)

Urbanization

Urban population: 78.7% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.87% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Age Structure

0 14 years: 22.2% (male 3,947,914/female 3,730,319)
15 64 years: 69.4% (male 12,308,938/female 11,666,947)
65 years and over: 8.4% (2024 est.) (male 1,409,360/female 1,501,332)

Ethnic groups: Bumiputera 63.8% (Malay 52.8% and indigenous peoples, including Orang Asli, Dayak, Anak Negeri, 11%), Chinese 20.6%, Indian 6%, other 0.6%, non-citizens 9% (2023 est.)

Dependency Ratios

Total dependency ratio: 44.3 (2025 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 31.7 (2025 est.)
Potential support ratio: 7.9 (2025 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 12.6 (2025 est.)

Physician density: 2.34 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

Health Expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP): 4.4% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 8% of national budget (2022 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.43 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Hospital bed density: 2 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.73 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Drinking Water Source

Improved: rural: rural: 90.1% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: total: total: 97.2% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: urban: urban: 99.1% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: rural: rural: 9.9% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 2.8% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: urban: urban: 0.9% of population (2022 est.)

Education Expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP): 3.5% of GDP (2023 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget): 14.1% national budget (2023 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

Male: 6.8 deaths/1,000 live births
Total: 6.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
Female: 6 deaths/1,000 live births

Population growth rate: 0.97% (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate: 0.83 (2025 est.)
Population distribution: a highly uneven distribution, with over 80% of the population residing on the Malay Peninsula

Life Expectancy at Birth

Male: 75 years
Female: 78.4 years
Total population: 76.6 years (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 26 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved: rural: rural: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: total: total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: urban: urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: rural: rural: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: urban: urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita

Beer: 0.48 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine: 0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Total: 0.64 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits: 0.11 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols: 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Major urban areas population: 8.622 million KUALA LUMPUR (capital), 1.086 million Johor Bahru, 857,000 Ipoh (2023)
Obesity adult prevalence rate: 15.6% (2016)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 15.3% (2022 est.)

School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)

Male: 11 years (2023 est.)
Total: 12 years (2023 est.)
Female: 12 years (2023 est.)

Government

Civica · structure

How power is organised

ExecutiveLegislative

Flag: description: 14 equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white; a dark blue rectangle in the upper-left corner has a yellow crescent and a 14-pointed yellow star

meaning: the flag is often called Jalur Gemilang (Stripes of Glory); the 14 stripes stand for the equal status of the 13 member states and the federal government; the points on the star represent the unity among these entities; the crescent is a traditional symbol of Islam; blue symbolizes the unity of the Malay people, and yellow is the royal color

Capital

Name: Kuala Lumpur
Note: note: nearby Putrajaya is referred to as a federal government administrative center but not as the capital; the legislature meets in Kuala Lumpur
Etymology: the name means "muddy river junction," referring to the city's location on the confluence of the Kelang and Gombak rivers; it comes from the Malay words kuala (river junction or estuary) and lumpur (mud)
Time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Geographic coordinates: 3 10 N, 101 42 E

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Citizenship

Citizenship BY birth: no
Citizenship BY descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Malaysia
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 10 out 12 years preceding application

Constitution

History: previous 1948; latest drafted 21 February 1957, effective 27 August 1957
Amendment process: proposed as a bill by Parliament; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Parliament membership in the bill’s second and third readings; a number of constitutional sections are excluded from amendment or repeal

Country Name

Former: British Malaya, Malayan Union, Federation of Malaya
Etymology: devised in the early 19th century by British geographers; the suffix -sia was added to the name of the Malay people to form a classical-style name; the name Malay may come from the Tamil word malai, meaning "mountain"
Local long form: none
Local short form: Malaysia
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Malaysia

Independence: 31 August 1957 (from the UK)
Legal system: mixed system of English common law, Islamic law (sharia), and customary law; the Federal Court can review legislative acts at the request of the supreme head of the federation
Government type: federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy

Judicial Branch

Note: note: Malaysia has a dual judicial hierarchy of civil and religious (sharia) courts
Highest court(s): Federal Court (consists of the chief justice, president of the Court of Appeal, chief justice of the High Court of Malaya, chief judge of the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak, 8 judges, and 1 "additional" judge)
Subordinate courts: Court of Appeal; High Court; Sessions Court; Magistrates' Court
Judge selection and term of office: Federal Court justices appointed by the monarch on advice of the prime minister; judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 66 with the possibility of a single 6-month extension

Executive Branch

Note: note: the position of the king is primarily ceremonial, but he is the final arbiter on the appointment of the prime minister
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among members of Parliament with the consent of the king
Chief of state: King Sultan IBRAHIM ibni al-Marhum Sultan Iskandar (since 31 January 2024)
Head of government: Prime Minister ANWAR Ibrahim (since 24 November 2022)
Most recent election date: 24 October 2023
Election/appointment process: king elected by and from the hereditary rulers of 9 states for a 5-year term; election is on a rotational basis among rulers of the 9 states; prime minister designated from among members of the House of Representatives; following legislative elections, the leader who has support of the majority of members in the House becomes prime minister
Expected date of next election: October 2028, with inauguration in January 2029

National holiday: Independence Day (or Merdeka Day), 31 August (1957) (independence of Malaya); Malaysia Day, 16 September (1963) (formation of Malaysia)
National color(s): gold, black

National Heritage

Total world heritage sites: 6 (4 cultural, 2 natural)
Selected world heritage site locales: Gunung Mulu National Park (n); Kinabalu Park (n); Melaka and George Town, Historic Cities of the Straits of Melaka (c); Archaeological Heritage of the Lenggong Valley (c); The Archaeological Heritage of Niah National Park’s Caves Complex (c); Forest Research Institute Malaysia Forest Park Selangor (c)

Political parties: National Front (Barisan Nasional) or BN:
Malaysian Chinese Association (Persatuan Cina Malaysia) or MCA
Malaysian Indian Congress (Kongres India Malaysia) or MIC
United Malays National Organization (Pertubuhan Kebansaan Melayu Bersatu) or UMNO
United Sabah People's Party (Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah) or PBRS

Alliance of Hope (Pakatan Harapan) or PH:
Democratic Action Party (Parti Tindakan Demokratik) or DAP
National Trust Party (Parti Amanah Negara) or AMANAH
People's Justice Party (Parti Keadilan Rakyat) or PKR
United Progressive Kinabalu Organization (Pertubuhan Kinabalu Progresif Bersatu) or UPKO

National Alliance (Perikatan Nasional) or PN:
Malaysian People's Movement Party (Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia) or GERAKAN or PGRM
Malaysian United Indigenous Party (Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia) or PPBM or BERSATU
Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (Parti Islam Se-Malaysia) or PAS

Sabah People's Alliance (Gabungan Rakya Sabah) or GRS:
Homeland Solidarity Party (Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku) or STAR
Love Sabah Party (Parti Cinta Sabah) or PCS
Sabah People's Ideas Party (Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah) or GAGASAN or PGRS

Sarawak Parties Alliance (Gabungan Parti Sarawak) or GPS:
Progressive Democratic Party (Parti Demokratik Progresif) or PDP
Sarawak People's Party (Parti Rakyat Sarawak) or PRS
Sarawak United People's Party (Parti Rakyat Bersatu Sarawak) or SUPP
United Bumiputera Heritage Party (Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersata) or PBB

Homeland Movement/Party (Gerakan Tanah Air) or GTA
Homeland Fighter's Party (Parti Pejuang Tanah Air) or PEJUANG
Perkasa Bumiputera Party of Malaysia (Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia)
All-Malaysian Jemaah Islamiah Front (Barisan Jemaah Islamiah Se-Malaysia)
National All India Muslim Alliance Party (Parti Perikatan India Muslim Nasional)

others:
Malaysian Nation Party (Parti Bangsa Malaysia) or PBM
Heritage Party (Parti Warisan) or WARISAN
Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Ikatan Demokratik Malaysia) or MUDA
United Sarawak Party (PSB)

Legislative Branch

Legislature name: Parliament (Parlimen)
Legislative structure: bicameral

National Anthem(s)

Title: "Negaraku" (My Country)
History: adopted 1957; full version only performed in the king's presence,  the shorter version performed for the queen and lesser officials
Lyrics/music: collective, led by Tunku ABDUL RAHMAN/Pierre Jean DE BERANGER

National symbol(s): tiger, hibiscus
Administrative divisions: 13 states (negeri-negeri, singular - negeri); Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Pulau Pinang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Terengganu; and 1 federal territory (Wilayah Persekutuan) with 3 components, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, and Putrajaya

Legislative Branch Lower Chamber

Chamber name: House of Representatives (Dewan Rakyat)
Term in office: 5 years
Number of seats: 223 (all directly elected)
Electoral system: plurality/majority
Scope of elections: full renewal
Most recent election date: 11/19/2022
Expected date of next election: November 2027
Percentage of women in chamber: 13.5%
Parties elected and seats per party: Pakatan Harapan (PH) (76); National Alliance (PN) (52); National Front (BN) (30); Sarawak Parties Alliance (GPS) (23); Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) (22); Other (19)

Legislative Branch Upper Chamber

Chamber name: Senate (Dewan Negara)
Number of seats: 70 (26 indirectly elected; 44 appointed)
Percentage of women in chamber: 16.1%

Diplomatic Representation in the US

Fax: [1] (202) 572-9882
Chancery: 3516 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008
Telephone: [1] (202) 572-9700
Chief of mission: Ambassador Tan Sri Muhammad SHAHRUL Ikram bin Yaakob (since 24 July 2025)
Consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York
Email address and website: mwwashington@kln.gov.my

https://www.kln.gov.my/web/usa_washington/home

Diplomatic Representation from the US

Fax: [60] (3) 2142-2207
Embassy: 376 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur
Telephone: [60] (3) 2168-5000
Mailing address: 4210 Kuala Lumpur, Washington DC  20521-4210
Chief of mission: Ambassador Edgard D. KAGAN (since 20 March 2024)
Email address and website: KLACS@state.gov

https://my.usembassy.gov/

International organisations: ADB, APEC, ARF, ASEAN, BIS, C, CICA (observer), CP, D-8, EAS, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, PIF (partner), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Legislature

MALAYSIA · LOWER HOUSE

House of Representatives

223 seats · hover a seat for the party

Total seats

223

Majority line

113

Largest party

United Malays National Organisation

Parties

All political parties26 parties · 223 seats · click to dim in hemicycle

Upper house

MALAYSIA · UPPER HOUSE

Senate

70 seats · hover a seat for the party

Total seats

Majority line

Largest party

United Malays National Organisation

Parties

All political parties18 parties · 70 seats · click to dim in hemicycle

Leaders

Current

IJ
Ibrahim Iskandar of Johor
- Head of StateSince 2024
AI
Anwar Ibrahim
- Head of GovernmentSince 2022

Economy

Budget

Note: note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
Revenues: $69.055 billion (2023 est.)
Expenditures: $89.046 billion (2023 est.)

Exports

Civica canonical (reconciled): $301.2B

Note: note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Exports 2022: $312.88 billion (2022 est.)
Exports 2023: $274.1 billion (2023 est.)
Exports 2024: $301.789 billion (2024 est.)

Imports

Civica canonical (reconciled): $278.8B

Note: note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Imports 2022: $283.758 billion (2022 est.)
Imports 2023: $253.665 billion (2023 est.)
Imports 2024: $279.09 billion (2024 est.)

Industries: Peninsular Malaysia - rubber and oil palm processing and manufacturing, petroleum and natural gas, light manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, medical technology, electronics and semiconductors, timber processing; Sabah - logging, petroleum and natural gas production; Sarawak - agriculture processing, petroleum and natural gas production, logging
Labor force: 18.264 million (2024 est.)

Public Debt

Civica canonical (reconciled): 64.6%

Note: note: central government debt as a % of GDP
Public debt 2023: 64.3% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances

Note: note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Remittances 2022: 0.4% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2023: 0.4% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances 2024: 0.4% of GDP (2024 est.)

Exchange Rates

Currency: ringgits (MYR) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2020: 4.203 (2020 est.)
Exchange rates 2021: 4.143 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2022: 4.401 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2023: 4.561 (2023 est.)
Exchange rates 2024: 4.576 (2024 est.)

Economic overview: upper middle-income Southeast Asian economy; implementing key anticorruption policies; major electronics, oil, and chemicals exporter; trade sector employs over 40% of jobs; key economic equity initiative; high labor productivity

Unemployment Rate

Civica canonical (reconciled): 3.8%

Note: note: % of labor force seeking employment
Unemployment rate 2022: 4% (2022 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023: 3.9% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2024: 3.9% (2024 est.)

Exports partners: China 21%, Singapore 12%, USA 12%, Japan 5%, Hong Kong 5% (2023)
Imports partners: China 24%, Singapore 11%, USA 7%, Japan 5%, Taiwan 5% (2023)

Real GDP Per Capita

Civica canonical (reconciled): $38,779

Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita 2022: $32,100 (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $32,800 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2024: $34,100 (2024 est.)

Real GDP Growth Rate

Civica canonical (reconciled): 5.1%

Note: note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 8.9% (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 3.6% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2024: 5.1% (2024 est.)

Agricultural products: oil palm fruit, rice, chicken, eggs, tropical fruits, coconuts, vegetables, pineapples, rubber, bananas (2023)
Exports commodities: integrated circuits, refined petroleum, crude petroleum, natural gas, palm oil (2023)
Imports commodities: integrated circuits, refined petroleum, crude petroleum, coal, broadcasting equipment (2023)

Current Account Balance

Civica canonical (reconciled): $7.2B

Note: note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Current account balance 2022: $12.738 billion (2022 est.)
Current account balance 2023: $6.257 billion (2023 est.)
Current account balance 2024: $7.15 billion (2024 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 12.6% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $421.972 billion (2024 est.)

GDP Composition, BY End Use

Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
Household consumption: 60.8% (2024 est.)
Government consumption: 12% (2024 est.)
Investment in inventories: 1.3% (2024 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 20.6% (2024 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 71.4% (2024 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -66% (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line: 6.2% (2021 est.)

Average Household Expenditures

On food: 26.4% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
On alcohol and tobacco: 1.6% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)

Civica canonical (reconciled): 1.8%

Note: note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 3.4% (2022 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 2.5% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024: 1.8% (2024 est.)

Industrial production growth rate: 4.9% (2024 est.)

Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Civica canonical (reconciled): $1.212 trillion (2024 est.)

Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $1.113 trillion (2022 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $1.153 trillion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $1.212 trillion (2024 est.)

Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)

Male: 11.3% (2024 est.)
Note: note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
Total: 12.3% (2024 est.)
Female: 13.8% (2024 est.)

Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold

Note: note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $114.659 billion (2022 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023: $113.463 billion (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024: $116.229 billion (2024 est.)

GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin

Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
Industry: 37.1% (2024 est.)
Services: 53.6% (2024 est.)
Agriculture: 8.2% (2024 est.)

Note: note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
Lowest 10%: 2.3% (2021 est.)
Highest 10%: 30.9% (2021 est.)

Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income

Note: note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
Gini index coefficient distribution of family income 2021: 40.7 (2021 est.)

Energy

Coal

Exports: 462,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Imports: 31.706 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Production: 4.476 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Consumption: 35.741 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 226 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum

Total petroleum production: 582,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 3.6 billion barrels (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 672,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Electricity

Exports: 1.2 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Imports: 61.678 million kWh (2023 est.)
Consumption: 178.653 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 37.22 million kW (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 13.188 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Natural Gas

Exports: 37.451 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Imports: 3.359 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Production: 74.32 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Consumption: 47.112 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 1.189 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Electricity Access

Electrification total population: 100% (2022 est.)

Energy Consumption Per Capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 113.163 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Electricity Generation Sources

Solar: 1.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Fossil fuels: 81.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Hydroelectricity: 16.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Biomass and waste: 0.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Communications

Internet Users

Percent of population: 98% (2023 est.)

Broadcast media: state-owned TV broadcaster operates 2 TV networks with relays; the leading private commercial media group operates 4 TV stations with numerous relays; satellite TV subscription service is available; state-owned radio broadcaster operates multiple national networks, as well as regional and local stations; many private commercial radio broadcasters and some subscription satellite radio services are available; about 55 radio stations overall (2019)
Internet country code: .my

Telephones Fixed Lines

Total subscriptions: 8.402 million (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 24 (2023 est.)

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Total subscriptions: 49.7 million (2024 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 140 (2024 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Total: 4.58 million (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 13 (2023 est.)

Transport

Ports

Large: 3
Small: 10
Medium: 4
Key ports: Johor, Kota Kinabalu, Port Dickson, Port Klang, Pulau Pinang, Tanjung Pelepas, Tapis Marine Terminal A
Very small: 18
Total ports: 35 (2024)
Ports with oil terminals: 24

Airports: 100 (2025)

Railways

Total: 1,851 km (2014)
Narrow gauge: 1,792 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge (339 km electrified)
Standard gauge: 59 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge (59 km electrified)

Heliports: 24 (2025)

Merchant Marine

Total: 1,750 (2023)
BY type: bulk carrier 14, container ship 35, general cargo 169, oil tanker 148, other 1,384

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: 9M

Environment

Climate: tropical; annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February) monsoons

Geoparks

Global geoparks and regional networks: Kinabalu; Langkawi (2023)
Total global geoparks and regional networks: 2

Land Use

Other: 16% (2023 est.)
Forest: 57.8% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: 26.1% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 2.4% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 22.7% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 0.9% (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Urban population: 78.7% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.87% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Methane Emissions

Other: 15.3 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Waste: 847.9 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Energy: 818.9 kt (2022-2024 est.)
Agriculture: 182.2 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Waste and Recycling

Municipal solid waste generated annually: 12.983 million tons (2024 est.)
Percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 22.1% (2022 est.)

Environmental issues: air pollution from industrial and vehicular emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; deforestation; smoke/haze from Indonesian forest fires; endangered species; coastal reclamation damaging mangroves and turtle nesting sites

Total Water Withdrawal

Municipal: 1.342 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Industrial: 1.641 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Agricultural: 2.505 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Total emissions: 260.005 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 92.951 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 76.78 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 90.273 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions: 23.7 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 580 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

International Environmental Agreements

Party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands
Signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Military & Security

Military note: the Malaysian military is responsible for defense of the country's national interests, sovereignty, and territorial integrity; it also has some domestic responsibilities, such as responding to natural disasters; key areas of focus for the military include cyber defense, crime and piracy in the Strait of Malacca, and tensions in the South China Sea; the Army has traditionally been the dominant service, but air and maritime security have received increased emphasis in recent years; Malaysia has undertaken efforts to procure more modern aircraft and ships, improve air and maritime surveillance, expand the Navy’s support infrastructure (particularly bases/ports) and domestic ship-building capacities, and increase cooperation with regional and international partners such as Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, and the US

Malaysia is a member of the Five Powers Defense Arrangements (FPDA), a series of mutual assistance agreements reached in 1971 embracing Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the UK; the FPDA commits the members to consult with one another in the event or threat of an armed attack on any of the members and to mutually decide what measures should be taken, jointly or separately; there is no specific obligation to intervene militarily (2025)
Military deployments: 825 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (2025)

Military Expenditures

Civica canonical (reconciled): 1.0%

Military expenditures 2020: 1.1% of GDP (2020 est.)
Military expenditures 2021: 1% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military expenditures 2022: 1.1% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military expenditures 2023: 0.9% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military expenditures 2024: 1% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military and security forces: Malaysian Armed Forces (Angkatan Tentera Malaysia, ATM): Malaysian Army, Royal Malaysian Navy, Royal Malaysian Air Force

Ministry of Home Affairs: Royal Malaysia Police (RMP or Polis Diraja Malaysia, PDRM), Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA; aka Malaysian Coast Guard) (2025)
Military service age and obligation: 17 years 6 months of age for voluntary military service for men and women (younger with parental consent and proof of age); mandatory retirement age 60; no conscription (2025)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions: the military fields a diverse array of mostly older but growing quantities of more modern weapons and equipment; its inventory originates from a variety of suppliers across Europe, Asia, and the US; Malaysia has a domestic defense industry that has some co-production agreements with countries such as France, Germany, and Türkiye in areas such as armored vehicles and naval vessels (2025)
Military and security service personnel strengths: approximately 110,000 active Malaysian Armed Forces (2025)

Terrorism

Terrorist group(s): Abu Sayyaf Group, al-Qa'ida, Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)

Space

Space launch site(s): has launched feasibility studies for potential space launch sites in Pahang, Sabah, and Sarawak (2025)
Space agency/agencies: Malaysian Space Agency (MYSA; established 2019) (2025)
Space program overview: has a national space policy and program focused on the areas of remote sensing (RS), navigational services, and telecommunications to support domestic economic sectors; seeks to promote a domestic space industry; acquires, manufactures, and operates satellites; conducts research in RS capabilities and space sciences such as astronomy, atmospherics, space environment, and weather; has an astronaut training exchange program with Russia and works with a variety of foreign space agencies and industries, including those of the ESA, individual ESA member states, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea, the UK, and the US (2025)
Key space program milestones: 1996 - first of a series of domestically produced commercial communications satellites (MEASAT) launched on European rocket

2000 - first multipurpose (remote sensing/RS, communications, scientific) microsatellite (TiungSat-1) produced with technology and training from the UK and launched by Russia

2007 - first Malaysian astronaut (trained in Russia) to space on International Space Station

2009 - first RS satellite (RazakSat) built with assistance from South Korea and launched by US

2011 - completed construction of a satellite assembly, integration, and testing facility

2025 - first commercial high-resolution RS satellite (UzmaSat-1) launched by US; signed US-led Artemis Accords

Transnational Issues

Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons

Refugees: 191,343 (2024 est.)
Stateless persons: 120,857 (2024 est.)

Scores & Rankings

ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of

Civica Index48.0 / 100as of 2024-Q490 / 1902024-Q4

Civica Pulse−2.6as of 2026-05-06—2026-05-06

V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.36as of 2024-Q486 / 1702024-Q4

Freedom House StatusNot Free (50/100)as of 2024-Q4—2024-Q4

Press Freedom (RSF)Partly free (50/100)as of 2024—2024

Human Development Index0.803as of 2022—2022

Corruption Perceptions Index50 / 100as of 202353 / 1802023

Cite this page

Cite this pageAPA · BibTeX · Chicago · JSON

Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Malaysia — vintage 2026-Q1: Malaysia factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/malaysia

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Sources: FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, V-Dem, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata

Malaysia

Area

Land Use

Elevation

Land Boundaries

Maritime Claims

Literacy

Languages

Sex Ratio

Median Age

Population

Nationality

Tobacco Use

Urbanization

Age Structure

Dependency Ratios

Health Expenditure

Drinking Water Source

Education Expenditure

Infant Mortality Rate

Life Expectancy at Birth

Sanitation Facility Access

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita

School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)

How power is organised

Capital

Citizenship

Constitution

Country Name

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Executive Branch

National Heritage

Legislative Branch

National Anthem(s)

Legislative Branch Lower Chamber

Legislative Branch Upper Chamber

Diplomatic Representation in the US

Diplomatic Representation from the US

House of Representatives

Senate

Current

Ibrahim Iskandar of Johor

Anwar Ibrahim

Budget

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Average Household Expenditures

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GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin

Household Income or Consumption BY Percentage Share

Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income

Coal

Petroleum

Electricity

Natural Gas

Electricity Access

Energy Consumption Per Capita

Electricity Generation Sources

Internet Users

Telephones Fixed Lines

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Ports

Railways

Merchant Marine

Geoparks

Land Use

Urbanization

Methane Emissions