Malaysia’s total population is estimated to reach 34.2 million in 2025, reflecting a modest growth rate of 0.5 percent from 34.1 million in 2024, according to recent demographic data from the Department of Statistics. This slowdown in overall population growth is primarily attributed to a decline in the number of non-citizens.
The citizen population is projected to increase from 30.7 million in 2024 to 30.9 million in 2025, though its growth rate has slightly decreased from 0.7 percent to 0.6 percent. Conversely, the non-citizen population is estimated to have marginally decreased from 3.39 million in 2024 to 3.38 million in 2025, impacting the overall national growth trajectory. This shift has resulted in a slight increase in the composition of citizens within the total population, rising from 90.0 percent in 2024 to 90.1 percent in 2025, while non-citizens now make up 9.9 percent, down from 10.0 percent.
Demographic Shifts: Sex Ratio and Age Structure
In terms of gender distribution, males continue to outnumber females, with 18.0 million males compared to 16.3 million females, resulting in an overall sex ratio of 110 males for every 100 females. For citizens, the ratio stands at 102 males per 100 females, while for non-citizens, the ratio is significantly higher at 228 males per 100 females, largely due to the predominance of male foreign workers in the country.
Malaysia’s age structure is undergoing notable changes. The working-age population (15-64 years) saw a slight increase, comprising 70.4 percent in 2025, up from 70.2 percent in 2024. The proportion of the elderly population (65 years and over) also continued its upward trend, reaching 8.0 percent in 2025 from 7.6 percent in the previous year. In contrast, the young-age population (0-14 years) decreased from 22.2 percent in 2024 to 21.6 percent in 2025. Reflecting these shifts, the median age of Malaysia’s population has risen to 31.3 years in 2025, from 30.9 years in 2024.
Dependency Ratio Trends
The total dependency ratio, which measures the number of individuals in the young and old age groups supported by every 100 working-age individuals, saw a slight decrease from 42.5 in 2024 to 42.1 in 2025. This reduction is primarily driven by the decline in the young-age dependency ratio, which fell from 31.6 in 2024 to 30.7 in 2025.
However, the old-age dependency ratio (65 years and over) increased to 11.4 in 2025 from 10.9 in 2024, reflecting the growing proportion of the elderly in the population. This demographic trend highlights Malaysia’s progression towards an aging society, which will have implications for healthcare, social welfare, and economic planning in the years to come.
