Malaysia Travel Podcast with Aisyah Rahman

Location

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

Terrain

Coastal plains rising to hills and mountains

Climate

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

Elevation

Highest point

Gunung Kinabalu 4,095 m

Lowest point

Indian Ocean 0 m

Mean elevation

419 m

Area

Total

329,847 sq km

Land

328,657 sq km

Water

1,190 sq km

Size comparison

Slightly larger than New Mexico

Coastline

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

Land borders

Total

2,742 km

Border countries

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

Natural resources

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

Land use

Agricultural land

26.1% (2023 est.)

Arable land

2.4% (2023 est.)

Permanent crops

22.7% (2023 est.)

Permanent pasture

0.9% (2023 est.)

Forest

57.8% (2023 est.)

Other

16% (2023 est.)

Natural hazards

Flooding; landslides; forest fires

Note

Strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China Sea

Population

Total

34,905,275 (2025 est.)

Male

17,833,074

Female

17,072,201

Nationality

Noun

Malaysian(s)

Adjective

Malaysian

Ethnic groups

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.)

Languages

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)

Religions

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.)

Median age

Total

32.2 years (2025 est.)

Male

31.7 years

Female

31.9 years

Life expectancy

Total population

76.6 years (2024 est.)

Male

75 years

Female

78.4 years

Urbanisation

Urban population

78.7% of total population (2023)

Rate of urbanization

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

Where people live

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

Largest cities

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

Background

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.

Government

Federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy

Capital

Kuala Lumpur

Time zone

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

Local name

None

Independence

31 August 1957 (from the UK)

National day

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

Overview

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

GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2024

$34,100 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$32,800 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$32,100 (2022 est.)

Inflation

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

1.8% (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

2.5% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

3.4% (2022 est.)

Unemployment

Unemployment rate 2024

3.9% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

3.9% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

4% (2022 est.)

Exchange rate

Currency

Ringgits (MYR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2024

4.576 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

4.561 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

4.401 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

4.143 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

4.203 (2020 est.)

Main industries

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

Agriculture

Oil palm fruit, rice, chicken, eggs, tropical fruits, coconuts, vegetables, pineapples, rubber, bananas (2023)

Airports

100 (2025)

Railways

Total

1,851 km (2014)

Standard gauge

59 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge (59 km electrified)

Narrow gauge

1,792 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge (339 km electrified)

Ports

Total ports

35 (2024)

Large

3

Medium

4

Small

10

Very small

18

Ports with oil terminals

24

Key ports

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

Internet domain

.my

Internet users

Percent of population 98% (2023 est.)

Mobile subscriptions

Total subscriptions

49.7 million (2024 est.)

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

140 (2024 est.)

Environmental issues

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

Fresh water

580 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

UNESCO Global Geoparks

Total global geoparks and regional networks

2

Global geoparks and regional networks

Kinabalu; Langkawi (2023)