Malaysia’s population is estimated to have increased to 34.4 million in 2026, up from 34.2 million in 2025, although the pace of growth continued to moderate as the country experiences lower birth rates and a steadily ageing population, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).
In its latest Current Population Estimates 2026, DOSM reported that Malaysia’s population expanded by 0.5% this year, with demographic trends increasingly shaped by declining fertility rates, rising life expectancy and changes in migration patterns.
The annual population estimates are based on the Population and Housing Census Malaysia 2020 and incorporate births, deaths, internal migration and international migration.
Malaysia’s citizen population rose from 30.8 million in 2025 to 31.0 million in 2026, maintaining an annual growth rate of 0.6%.
Meanwhile, the non-citizen population continued to contract, recording a decline of 0.2% in 2026 after shrinking 0.5% in the previous year.
DOSM said population growth remains driven primarily by natural increase—the difference between births and deaths—which was estimated at 175,119 people in 2026.
However, natural population growth has continued to slow due to declining fertility rates coupled with an increasing number of deaths.
Malaysia’s male population increased from 17.9 million to 18.0 million, while the female population rose from 16.3 million to 16.4 million over the same period.
Despite the increase in both groups, the country’s overall sex ratio remained unchanged at 110 males for every 100 females.
Among Malaysian citizens, the ratio stood at 102 males per 100 females, while the non-citizen population remained heavily male-dominated at 227 males for every 100 females, reflecting the concentration of male foreign workers in several economic sectors.
DOSM’s latest estimates show Malaysia’s demographic profile continues to shift towards an ageing society.
The proportion of children aged 0 to 14 years declined from 21.6% of the population in 2025 to 21.2% in 2026, while the working-age population (15 to 64 years) remained stable at 70.4%.
In contrast, the proportion of older persons aged 65 years and above increased from 8.0% to 8.4%, highlighting the country’s continuing demographic transition.
Reflecting this trend, Malaysia’s median age rose from 31.3 years in 2025 to 31.7 years in 2026, indicating that the overall population is getting older.
The report also highlighted changing dependency patterns as Malaysia ages.
The total dependency ratio—which measures the number of children and elderly supported by every 100 working-age persons—declined marginally from 42.1 in 2025 to 42.0 in 2026.
The slight improvement was driven by a fall in the young-age dependency ratio, which decreased from 30.8 to 30.1, reflecting the smaller share of children in the population.
However, the old-age dependency ratio continued to climb, rising from 11.4 to 11.9, indicating that a growing number of elderly Malaysians are being supported by the country’s working-age population.
The latest population estimates underscore Malaysia’s ongoing demographic transition, characterised by slower population growth, declining fertility and a steadily ageing population.
The trend is expected to have far-reaching implications for healthcare, retirement planning, labour force participation and social protection policies, as policymakers seek to balance the needs of an ageing society while sustaining long-term economic growth.
