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Malaysia: Urban population

In , Malaysia's Urban population was 27.35 million.

That's up 1.9% from 2023, the highest value on record.

The global average for this indicator in 2024 was 21,512,598.26 . Malaysia ranks #34 globally out of 217 reporting countries. Within East Asia & Pacific, it ranks #8 of 37.

Source: World Bank Open Data (SP.URB.TOTL) • Data as of 2024

Trend (2005–2024)

Malaysia Urban population trend 2020: COVID-19 pandemic
  • 2020 · COVID-19 pandemic

Highlights

Peak
27.35M
Trough
17.31M
1-year change
+1.9%
5-year change
+9.3%
+1.8% / yr
10-year change
+22.1%
+2.0% / yr

Historical Data — Last 10 Years

Year Urban population
27.350M
26.852M
26.360M
25.886M
25.435M
25.026M
24.540M
24.019M
23.480M
22.937M

About Urban population

Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.

Indicator code: SP.URB.TOTLCategory: Health & Population

Frequently asked questions

What was Malaysia's Urban population in 2024?
In 2024, Malaysia's Urban population was 27.35 million, according to World Bank Open Data.
Is Malaysia's Urban population rising or falling?
Malaysia's Urban population rose 1.9% from 2023 to 2024.
How does Malaysia rank globally on Urban population?
In 2024, Malaysia ranked #34 out of 217 countries reporting Urban population.
How does Malaysia's Urban population compare to the world average?
The global average for Urban population in 2024 was 21.51 million, so Malaysia is above the world average. Within East Asia & Pacific, it ranks #8 of 37.
What is Urban population and how is it measured?
Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.
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Source: World Bank Open Data (SP.URB.TOTL), CC BY 4.0.