PUTRAJAYA, July 11 — Malaysia’s population is expected to peak at 42.38 million in 2059, before declining to 42.37 million in 2060, 42.08 million in 2065 and 41.43 million by 2070, said the Statistics Department (DOSM).
In a statement today, chief statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin said although the population will grow steadily from 2020 to 2059, the rate will slow sharply from 1.7 per cent in 2020 to just 0.1 per cent by 2060.
He highlighted that the populations of Kelantan, Pahang, Perak, Terengganu and Putrajaya are set to increase continuously up to 2060.
Selangor is expected to remain the most populous state with 8.1 million residents by 2060, followed by Johor (4.99 million) and Sabah (4.89 million).
The population projections, covering the period from 2020 to 2060, were published today in conjunction with World Population Day 2025. The report presents detailed demographic changes using 2020 as the baseline.
Uzir noted that nine states are projected to reach their peak population numbers before the national peak in 2059. These include Kuala Lumpur (2031), Pulau Pinang (2040), Labuan (2041), Selangor (2049), Johor and Kedah (2052), Negeri Sembilan (2054), and Perlis and Sarawak (2055).
Ethnic composition is also expected to shift, with the Bumiputera population increasing from 69.4 per cent in 2020 to 79.4 per cent in 2060.
Meanwhile, the Chinese and Indian populations are projected to decline to 14.8 per cent (from 23.2 per cent in 2020) and 4.7 per cent (from 6.7 per cent), respectively.
The number of male and female residents are projected to grow steadily, with males consistently outnumbering females. The sex ratio is set to rise from 110 males per 100 females in 2020 to 114 males per 100 females by 2060, Uzir added.
— Bernama
