Malaysia

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. 

land

328,657 sq km

total

329,847 sq km

water

1,190 sq km

slightly larger than New Mexico

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

4,675 km (Peninsular Malaysia 2,068 km, East Malaysia 2,607 km)

highest point

Gunung Kinabalu 4,095 m

lowest point

Indian Ocean 0 m

mean elevation

419 m

2 30 N, 112 30 E

strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China Sea

4,420 sq km (2020)

border countries

Brunei 266 km; Indonesia 1,881 km; Thailand 595 km

total

2,742 km

agricultural land

23.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 2.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 19.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 0.9% (2018 est.)

forest

62% (2018 est.)

other

14.8% (2018 est.)

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

Southeast Asia

continental shelf

200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation; specified boundary in the South China Sea

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

flooding; landslides; forest fires

tin, petroleum, timber, copper, iron ore, natural gas, bauxite

a highly uneven distribution with over 80% of the population residing on the Malay Peninsula

coastal plains rising to hills and mountains

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)

beer

0.48 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.11 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

0.64 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

14.2 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

14.1% (2019)

52.2% (2014)

4.1% of GDP (2020)

59.3% (2023 est.)

5.8 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Malaysia’s multi-ethnic population consists of the bumiputera – Malays and other indigenous peoples – (62%), ethnic Chinese (21%), ethnic Indians (6%), and foreigners (10%).  The majority of Malaysia’s ethnic Chinese and Indians trace their roots to the British colonialists’ recruitment of hundreds of thousands of Chinese and Indians as mine and plantation workers between the early-19th century and the 1930s.  Most Malays have maintained their rural lifestyle, while the entrepreneurial Chinese have achieved greater wealth and economic dominance.  In order to eradicate Malay poverty, the Malaysian Government in 1971 adopted policies that gave preference to the bumiputera in public university admissions, government jobs and contracts, and property ownership.  Affirmative action continues to benefit well-off urban bumiputera but has done little to alleviate poverty for their more numerous rural counterparts.  The policies have pushed ethnic Chinese and Indians to study at private or foreign universities (many do not return) and have created and sustained one of the world’s largest civil services, which is 85-90% Malay.  The country’s age structure has changed significantly since the 1960s, as fertility and mortality rates have declined.  Malaysia’s total fertility rate (TFR) has dropped from 5 children per woman in 1970, to 3 in 1998, to 2.1 in 2015 as a result of increased educational attainment and labor participation among women, later marriages, increased use of contraception, and changes in family size preference related to urbanization.  The TFR is higher among Malays, rural residents (who are mainly Malay), the poor, and the less-educated.  Despite the reduced fertility rate, Malaysia’s population will continue to grow, albeit at a decreasing rate, for the next few decades because of its large number of reproductive-age women.  The youth population has been shrinking, and the working-age population (15-64 year olds) has been growing steadily.  Malaysia’s labor market has successfully absorbed the increasing number of job seekers, leading to sustained economic growth.  However, the favorable age structure is changing, and around 2020, Malaysia will start to become a rapidly aging society.  As the population ages, Malaysia will need to better educate and train its labor force, raise productivity, and continue to increase the number of women workers in order to further develop its economy. More than 1.8 million Malaysians lived abroad as of 2015, including anywhere from 350,000 to 785,000 workers, more than half of whom have an advanced level of education.  The vast majority of emigrants are ethnic Chinese, seeking better educational and job opportunities abroad because of institutionalized ethnic discrimination favoring the Malays.  The primary destination country is nearby Singapore, followed by Bangladesh and Australia.  Hundreds of thousands of Malaysians also commute across the causeway to Singapore daily for work. Brain drain is an impediment to Malaysia’s goal of becoming a high-income country.  The situation is compounded by a migrant inflow that is composed almost entirely of low-skilled laborers who work mainly in manufacturing, agriculture, and construction.  Officially, Malaysia had about 1.8 million legal foreign workers as of mid-year 2017 – largely from Indonesia, Nepal, the Philippines, and Bangladesh – but as many as 3 to 4 million are estimated to be in the country illegally.  Immigrants outnumber ethnic Indians and could supplant the ethnic Chinese as Malaysia’s second largest population group around 2035.

elderly dependency ratio

10.4

potential support ratio

9.6 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

43.3

youth dependency ratio

32.9

improved: rural

rural: 90.7% of population

improved: total

total: 97.5% of population

improved: urban

urban: 99.4% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 9.3% of population

unimproved: total

total: 2.5% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.6% of population

3.9% of GDP (2020 est.)

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.)

0.84 (2024 est.)

1.9 beds/1,000 population (2017)

female

6 deaths/1,000 live births

male

6.8 deaths/1,000 live births

total

6.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

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.

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

female

78.4 years

male

75 years

total population

76.6 years (2024 est.)

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

93.6% (2019)

male

96.2%

total population

95%

8.622 million KUALA LUMPUR (capital), 1.086 million Johor Bahru, 857,000 Ipoh (2023)

21 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

female

31.9 years

male

31.7 years

total

31.8 years (2024 est.)

adjective

Malaysian

noun

Malaysian(s)

1.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

15.6% (2016)

1.54 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

female

16,898,598 (2024 est.)

male

17,666,212

total

34,564,810

a highly uneven distribution with over 80% of the population residing on the Malay Peninsula

0.99% (2024 est.)

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.)

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: NA

improved: urban

urban: 99% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: (2020 est.) NA

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.1% of population

female

14 years (2020)

male

13 years

total

13 years

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.06 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.94 male(s)/female

at birth

1.07 male(s)/female

total population

1.05 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

female

1.1% (2020 est.)

male

43.8% (2020 est.)

total

22.5% (2020 est.)

1.73 children born/woman (2024 est.)

rate of urbanization

1.87% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

78.7% of total population (2023)

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

etymology

the Malay word for "river junction or estuary" is kuala and lumpur means "mud"; together the words render the meaning of "muddy confluence"

geographic coordinates

3 10 N, 101 42 E

name

Kuala Lumpur; note - nearby Putrajaya is referred to as a federal government administrative center but not the capital; Parliament meets in Kuala Lumpur

time difference

UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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

amendments

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; amended many times, last in 2019

history

previous 1948; latest drafted 21 February 1957, effective 27 August 1957

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Malaysia

etymology

the name means "Land of the Malays"

former

British Malaya, Malayan Union, Federation of Malaya

local long form

none

local short form

Malaysia

chief of mission

Ambassador Edgard D. KAGAN (since 20 March 2024)

email address and website

KLACS@state.govhttps://my.usembassy.gov/

embassy

376 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur

FAX

[60] (3) 2142-2207

mailing address

4210 Kuala Lumpur, Washington DC  20521-4210

telephone

[60] (3) 2168-5000

chancery

3516 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Mohamed NAZRI Bin Abdul Aziz (since 19 April 2023)

consulate(s) general

Los Angeles, New York

email address and website

mwwashington@kln.gov.myhttps://www.kln.gov.my/web/usa_washington/home

FAX

[1] (202) 572-9882

telephone

[1] (202) 572-9700

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)

elections/appointments

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; election last held on 24 October 2023 (next to be held in October 2028 with installation in January 2029); prime minister designated from among members of the House of Representatives; following legislative elections, the leader who commands support of the majority of members in the House becomes prime minister

head of government

Prime Minister ANWAR Ibrahim (since 25 November 2022)

note

note: the position of the king is primarily ceremonial, but he is the final arbiter on the appointment of the prime minister

14 equal horizontal stripes of red (top) alternating with white (bottom); there is a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a yellow crescent and a yellow 14-pointed star; the flag is often referred to as Jalur Gemilang (Stripes of Glory); the 14 stripes stand for the equal status in the federation of the 13 member states and the federal government; the 14 points on the star represent the unity between these entities; the crescent is a traditional symbol of Islam; blue symbolizes the unity of the Malay people and yellow is the royal color of Malay rulers

note

note: the design is based on the flag of the US

federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy

note

note: all Peninsular Malaysian states have hereditary rulers (commonly referred to as sultans) except Melaka (Malacca) and Pulau Pinang (Penang); those two states along with Sabah and Sarawak in East Malaysia have governors appointed by government; powers of state governments are limited by the federal constitution; under terms of federation, Sabah and Sarawak retain certain constitutional prerogatives (e.g., right to maintain their own immigration controls)

31 August 1957 (from the UK)

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

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

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); note - Malaysia has a dual judicial hierarchy of civil and religious (sharia) courts

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

subordinate courts

Court of Appeal; High Court; Sessions Court; Magistrates' Court

mixed legal system of English common law, Islamic law (sharia), and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Federal Court at request of supreme head of the federation

description

bicameral Parliament of Malaysia or Parlimen Malaysia consists of:Senate or Dewan Negara (70 seats; 44 members appointed by the king and 26 indirectly elected by 13 state legislatures; members serve 3-year terms)House of Representatives or Dewan Rakyat (222 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)

election results

Senate - appointed; composition - men 51, women 10, percentage women 16.4%House of Representatives - percent of vote by party/coalition - PH 37.5%, PN 30.4%, BN 22.4%, GPS 4%, WARISAN 1.8%, GRS 1.3%, other 2.6%; seats by party/coalition - PH 90, PN 50, BN 42, GPS 18, WARISAN 7, PEJUANG 4, PBM 3, PSB 1, MUDA 1, independent 4, vacant 2; composition - 192 men, 30 women; percentage women 13.5%; total Parliament percentage women 9.2%

elections

Senate - appointedHouse of Representatives - last held on 19 Nov 2022 (next to be held in 2027)

lyrics/music

collective, led by Tunku ABDUL RAHMAN/Pierre Jean DE BERANGER

name

"Negaraku" (My Country)

note

note: adopted 1957; full version only performed in the presence of the king; the tune, which was adopted from a popular French melody titled "La Rosalie," was originally the anthem of Perak, one of Malaysia's 13 states

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)

total World Heritage Sites

5 (3 cultural, 2 natural)

Independence Day (or Merdeka Day), 31 August (1957) (independence of Malaya); Malaysia Day, 16 September (1963) (formation of Malaysia)

tiger, hibiscus; national colors: gold, black

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 PCSSabah 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 Others: Malaysian Nation Party (Parti Bangsa Malaysia) or PBMHeritage Party (Parti Warisan) or WARISAN Homeland Fighter's Party (Parti Pejuang Tanah Air) or PEJUANG Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Ikatan Demokratik Malaysia) or MUDA United Sarawak Party (PSB) 

18 years of age; universal

oil palm fruit, rice, chicken, eggs, coconuts, tropical fruits, vegetables, rubber, bananas, pineapples (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

on alcohol and tobacco

1.8% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

on food

24.5% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

expenditures

$72.986 billion (2022 est.)

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

$66.883 billion (2022 est.)

Fitch rating

BBB+ (2020)

Moody's rating

A3 (2004)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

A- (2003)

Current account balance 2020

$14.138 billion (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

$14.493 billion (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

$12.271 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

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

Currency

ringgits (MYR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

4.142 (2019 est.)

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.)

Exports 2020

$208.217 billion (2020 est.)

Exports 2021

$263.836 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$312.857 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

integrated circuits, refined petroleum, natural gas, palm oil, crude petroleum (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Singapore 14%, China 13%, US 12%, Japan 6%, Hong Kong 6% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

exports of goods and services

68.4% (2023 est.)

government consumption

12% (2023 est.)

household consumption

60.4% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-63.4% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

19.2% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

3.3% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

agriculture

7.7% (2023 est.)

industry

37.7% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

53.5% (2023 est.)

$399.649 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2021

40.7 (2021 est.)

note

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

highest 10%

30.9% (2021 est.)

lowest 10%

2.3% (2021 est.)

note

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports 2020

$186.613 billion (2020 est.)

Imports 2021

$236.855 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$283.601 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

integrated circuits, refined petroleum, crude petroleum, coal, vehicle parts/accessories (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

China 28%, Singapore 12%, US 6%, Taiwan 6%, Japan 5% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

1.43% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

2.48% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

3.38% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

2.49% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

17.308 million (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

6.2% (2021 est.)

note

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

note

note: central government debt as a % of GDP

Public debt 2022

60.27% of GDP (2022 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$1.023 trillion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$1.111 trillion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$1.152 trillion (2023 est.)

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

3.3% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

8.65% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

3.68% (2023 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$30,500 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$32,700 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$33,600 (2023 est.)

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

0.42% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

0.4% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

0.44% of GDP (2023 est.)

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$116.916 billion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$114.659 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$113.438 billion (2023 est.)

11.65% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

4.64% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

3.93% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

3.86% (2023 est.)

female

14.2% (2023 est.)

male

11.4% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

12.5% (2023 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke

82.481 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from consumed natural gas

83.85 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

96.127 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

262.458 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

consumption

35.05 million metric tons (2022 est.)

exports

168,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports

31.834 million metric tons (2022 est.)

production

3.731 million metric tons (2022 est.)

proven reserves

226 million metric tons (2022 est.)

consumption

181.004 billion kWh (2022 est.)

exports

1.062 billion kWh (2022 est.)

imports

38.028 million kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

36.301 million kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

12.262 billion kWh (2022 est.)

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

biomass and waste

0.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

fossil fuels

81.4% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity

16.9% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

1.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

116.494 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

consumption

42.499 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

exports

38.603 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

imports

4.529 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

production

75.456 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

proven reserves

1.189 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

3.6 billion barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

717,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

total petroleum production

582,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

10 (2020 est.)

total

3,358,800 (2020 est.)

state-owned TV broadcaster operates 2 TV networks with relays throughout the country, and the leading private commercial media group operates 4 TV stations with numerous relays throughout the country; 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)

.my

percent of population

97% (2021 est.)

total

32.98 million (2021 est.)

domestic

fixed-line roughly 25 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 141 per 100 persons (2021)

general assessment

as part of a diverse range of initiatives designed to move the country from developing to developed status by 2025, Malaysia has enabled and encouraged open competition in its telecommunications market; the result is very high penetration levels in both the mobile (147%) and mobile broadband (127%) segments, and near-universal coverage of 4G LTE networks; steady growth is occurring as more fiber optic cable networks are being deployed around the country; consumers are the main beneficiaries of the highly competitive market; they enjoy widespread access to high-speed mobile services as well as attractive offers on bundles to keep data use up but prices low; the downside is that most of Malaysia’s MNOs and MVNOs have struggled to increase revenue in line with growth in subscriber numbers as well as demand for broadband data; while the operators have been very successful in moving a significant proportion (now over 30%) of customers from prepaid over to higher-value postpaid accounts, ARPU continues to fall year after year as a result of competitive pricing pressures; the mobile market, in particular, has become overcrowded and the government is keen to see further rationalization and consolidation with the operators; while customers will no doubt continue to enjoy high quality services at competitive rates, the new entity will be hopeful of squeezing better margins through improved economies of scale; in 2022, the government abandoned its single wholesale 5G network model and committed to deploying a dual 5G network; currently, 80 percent of Malaysia’s population is covered by 5G (2023)

international

country code - 60; landing points for BBG, FEA, SAFE, SeaMeWe-3 & 4 & 5, AAE-1, JASUKA, BDM, Dumai-Melaka Cable System, BRCS, ACE, AAG, East-West Submarine Cable System, SEAX-1, SKR1M, APCN-2, APG, BtoBe,  BaSICS, and Labuan-Brunei Submarine and MCT submarine cables providing connectivity to Asia, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Australia and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 1 Pacific Ocean); launch of Kacific-1 satellite in 2019 (2019)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

25 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

8.453 million (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

141 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

47.952 million (2022 est.)

102 (2024)

9M

24 (2024)

by type

bulk carrier 14, container ship 35, general cargo 169, oil tanker 148, other 1,384

total

1,750 (2023)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

1,404,410,000 (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

60,481,772 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

270

number of registered air carriers

13 (2020)

354 km condensate, 6,439 km gas, 155 km liquid petroleum gas, 1,937 km oil, 43 km oil/gas/water, 114 km refined products, 26 km water (2013)

key ports

Johor, Kota Kinabalu, Port Dickson, Port Klang, Pulau Pinang, Tanjung Pelepas, Tapis Marine Terminal A

large

3

medium

4

ports with oil terminals

24

small

10

total ports

35 (2024)

very small

18

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)

total

1,851 km (2014)

paved

116,169 km (includes 1,821 km of expressways)

total

144,403 km (excludes local roads)

unpaved

28,234 km (2010)

7,200 km (2011) (Peninsular Malaysia 3,200 km; Sabah 1,500 km; Sarawak 2,500 km)

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; while the Army has traditionally been the dominant service, air and maritime security have received increased emphasis in recent years, particularly anti-piracy operations in the Strait of Malacca and countering Chinese incursions into Malaysia’s Economic Exclusion Zone, as well as addressing other identified shortfalls in air and maritime capabilities; as such, Malaysia has undertaken efforts to procure more modern fighters and ships, improve air and maritime surveillance, expand the Navy’s support infrastructure (particularly bases/ports) and domestic ship-building capacities, restructure naval command and control, and increase air and naval cooperation with regional and international partners such as Indonesia, the Philippines, and the USMalaysia 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 (2024)

Malaysian Armed Forces (Angkatan Tentera Malaysia, ATM): Malaysian Army (Tentera Darat Malaysia), Royal Malaysian Navy (Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia, TLDM), Royal Malaysian Air Force (Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia, TUDM) (2024)

note

note 1: the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP or Polis Diraja Malaysia, PDRM) are under the Ministry of Home Affairs; the PRMD includes the General Operations Force, a paramilitary force with a variety of roles, including patrolling borders, counter-terrorism, maritime security, and counterinsurgency; the Ministry of Home Affairs also includes the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA; aka Malaysian Coast Guard)note 2: Malaysia created a National Special Operations Force in 2016 for combating terrorism threats; the force is comprised of personnel from the ATM, the PRMD, and the MMEA

approximately 110,000 active-duty troops (80,000 Army; 15,000 Navy; 15,000 Air Force) (2023)

830 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (2024)

the military fields a diverse array of mostly older but growing mix of modern weapons and equipment; its inventory originates from a wide 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 Turkey in such areas armored vehicles and naval vessels (2024)

Military Expenditures 2019

1% of GDP (2019 est.)

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.)

17 years 6 months of age for voluntary military service for men and women (younger with parental consent and proof of age); maximum age of 27 to enlist; mandatory retirement age 60; no conscription (2023)

note

note: in 2020, the military announced a goal of having 10% of the active force comprised of women

not a source country for illicit drugs bound for the United States but is a significant transit country for drugs destined for Australia;  drugs trafficked to Malaysia include crystal methamphetamine and lesser quantities of MDMA (ecstasy), cannabis, heroin, and ketamine; significant number of the population abuse drugs especially  methamphetamine

refugees (country of origin)

157,731 (Burma) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2023)

stateless persons

113,930 (2022); note - Malaysia's stateless population consists of Rohingya refugees from Burma, ethnic Indians, and the children of Filipino and Indonesian illegal migrants; Burma stripped the Rohingya of their nationality in 1982; Filipino and Indonesian children who have not been registered for birth certificates by their parents or who received birth certificates stamped "foreigner" are not eligible to attend government schools; these children are vulnerable to statelessness should they not be able to apply to their parents' country of origin for passports

Malaysian Space Agency (MYSA); MYSA was established in 2019 through the merging of the National Space Agency (ANGKASA; established 2002) and Malaysian Remote Sensing Agency (MRSA; established 1998); Astronautic Technology Sd Bhd (ATSB; established 1995) (2024)

has a growing space program focused on the areas of remote sensing (RS), communication, and navigational services to support domestic economic sectors; also 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 has relations with a variety of foreign space agencies and industries, including those of the European Space Agency and some of its individual member states, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea, the UK, and the US (2024)

note

note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in the Space Programs reference guide

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); Jemaah Islamiyah (JI); Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG)

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

carbon dioxide emissions

248.29 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

51.51 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

21.52 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

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

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

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

global geoparks and regional networks

Kinabalu; Langkawi (2023)

total global geoparks and regional networks

2

agricultural land

23.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 2.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 19.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 0.9% (2018 est.)

forest

62% (2018 est.)

other

14.8% (2018 est.)

0.02% of GDP (2018 est.)

1.57% of GDP (2018 est.)

580 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural

2.51 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

1.64 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

1.34 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

rate of urbanization

1.87% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

78.7% of total population (2023)

municipal solid waste generated annually

12,982,685 tons (2014 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

2,271,970 tons (2016 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

17.5% (2016 est.)