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Malaysia
Malaysia
Population
35.6M
Rank #44Source: World Bank
Capital
Kuala Lumpur
Source: REST Countries
Region
Asia
East Asia & Pacific
Source: REST Countries
GDP (Nominal)
$422.23B
Rank #37Source: World Bank
Land Area
330.8K km²
Rank #69Source: REST Countries
Life Expectancy
76.657 yrs
Source: World Bank
Historical Trends
Population Trend (5-Year)
Source: World Bank
GDP Trend (5-Year, Nominal USD)
Source: World Bank
Geography
Area: 330,803 km²
Landlocked: No
Independent: Yes
Climate: tropical; annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February) monsoons
Terrain: coastal plains rising to hills and mountains
Elevation: mean elevation: 419 m lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Gunung Kinabalu 4,095 m
Natural Hazards: flooding; landslides; forest fires
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...
Land Use: agricultural land: 23.2% (2011 est.) forest: 62% (2011 est.) other: 14.8% (2011 est.)
Geography Note: strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China Sea
Natural Resources
tinpetroleumtimbercopperiron orenatural gasbauxite
People & Society
Fertility Rate
1.55
Population
35.6M
Ethnic Groups
Bumiputera (62%)Chinese (20.6%)Indian (6.2%)other (0.9%)non-citizens (10.3%)
Religions
Muslim (official) (61.3%)Buddhist (19.8%)Christian (9.2%)Hindu (6.3%)other traditional Chinese religions (1.3%)other (0.4%)none (0.8%)unspecified (1%)
Economy
GDP per Capita
$11,874.427
GDP per Capita PPP
38,779.283
(2024)
(2024)
GNI per Capita
11,650
(2024)
(2024)
Gini Index
40.7
(2021)
(2021)
Unemployment
3.846%
(2024)
(2024)
Inflation
1.834%
(2024)
(2024)
Public Debt
64.282%
(2023)
(2023)
Energy
Electricity Access
100%
(2023)
(2023)
Renewable Energy
7.5%
(2021)
(2021)
CO₂ Emissions
295.954 Mt
(2024)
(2024)
Energy Intensity
4.49 MJ/$
(2021)
(2021)
Renewable Electricity
17%
(2021)
(2021)
Environment
Forest Coverage
57.719% of land
(2023)
(2023)
Protected Areas
0.52% of land
(2010)
(2010)
Communications
Internet Users
98.021%
(2024)
(2024)
Mobile Penetration
142.732%
(2023)
(2023)
Broadband Subscribers
13.029%
(2023)
(2023)
Transportation
Air Transport Freight
1,910.14 M ton-km
(2023)
(2023)
Container Port Traffic
27,293,935 TEU
(2022)
(2022)
Airports
359,378
Rail Lines
1,655 km
Roads Total
327,620.8 km(©IRF)
Military
Military Forces
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...
Personnel Strength
the Malaysian Armed Forces have approximately 115,000 active duty troops (80,000 Army; 18,000 Navy; 17,000 Air Force); approximately 18,000 General Operations Force
Military Expenditure (USD)
$4.31B
Military Expenditure (% of GDP)
0.99%
Military Expenditure History
1% of GDP (2019) 1% of GDP (2018) 1.1% of GDP (2017) 1.4% of GDP (2016) 1.5% of GDP (2015)
Deployments
820 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (2020)
Equipment & Inventories
the Malaysian Armed Forces field a diverse mix of imported weapons systems; the chief suppliers since 2010 are Germany, South Korea, Spain, and Turkey (2019)
Service Age & Obligation
17 years 6 months of age for voluntary military service (younger with parental consent and proof of age); mandatory retirement age 60; women serve in the Malaysian Armed Forces; no conscription
Education
Pre-Primary Enrollment
87.498%
(2021)
(2021)
Primary Enrollment
90.36%
(2024)
(2024)
Secondary Enrollment
80.276%
(2024)
(2024)
Tertiary Enrollment
38.501%
(2024)
(2024)
Education Spending
3.515% of GDP
(2023)
(2023)
Adult Literacy Rate
95.77%
(2022)
(2022)
Pupil-Teacher Ratio
11.656:1
(2017)
(2017)
Health
Physicians per 1,000
2.341
(2023)
(2023)
Safe Water Access
97.942%
(2024)
(2024)
Safe Drinking Water
94.7%
(2024)
(2024)
Under-5 Mortality
8.1 per 1,000
(2023)
(2023)
Maternal Mortality (World Bank)
17.353 per 100,000
(2021)
(2021)
Hospital Beds per 1,000
75.316
(2021)
(2021)
UHC Coverage Index
80
(2023)
(2023)
Measles Immunization
93%
(2024)
(2024)
Social Indicators
Extreme Poverty Rate
Not Available
Food Insecurity
2.5%
(2023)
(2023)
Youth NEET Rate
11.73%
(2022)
(2022)
Governance
Women in Government
13.514%
(2024)
(2024)
Voice & Accountability
0.09
(Above Average)
(2023)
(Above Average)
(2023)
Political Stability
0.17
(Above Average)
(2023)
(Above Average)
(2023)
Government Effectiveness
0.88
(Above Average)
(2023)
(Above Average)
(2023)
Regulatory Quality
0.66
(Above Average)
(2023)
(Above Average)
(2023)
Rule of Law
0.57
(Above Average)
(2023)
(Above Average)
(2023)
Control of Corruption
0.30
(Above Average)
(2023)
(Above Average)
(2023)
Government
Government Type
federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy note: all Peninsular Malaysian states have hereditary rulers (commonly referred to as sultans) except Melaka (Malacca) and Pulau Pinang (Penang); those...
Legal System
mixed legal system of English common law, Islamic (sharia) law, and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Federal Court at request of supreme head of the federation
Executive Branch
chief of state: King Sultan ABDULLAH Sultan Ahmad Shah (since 24 January 2019); note - King MUHAMMAD V (formerly known as Tuanku Muhammad Faris Petra) (selected on 14 October 2016; installed on 13...
Legislative Branch
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;...
Judicial Branch
highest courts: 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...
National Symbols
Flag Description
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...
National Symbols
tiger, hibiscus; national colors: gold, black
National Anthem
name: "Negaraku" (My Country) lyrics/music: collective, led by Tunku ABDUL RAHMAN/Pierre Jean DE BERANGER note: adopted 1957; full version only performed in the presence of the king; the tune, which...
Safety
Homicide Rate
0.734 per 100,000
(2023)
(2023)
Travel Information
Language(s): English, Malay
Currency: MYR (RM)
Timezone(s): UTC+08:00
Landlocked: No
Independent: Yes
Driving Side: Left
Calling Code: +60
Car Sign: MAL
Week Starts: Sunday
Photos
A stretch of white-sand beach on the Malay Peninsula.
A stretch of white-sand beach on the Malay Peninsula. • CIA World Factbook • 2020
A modern part of Malacca Town as seen from the tourist observation tower looking towards the Straits.
A modern part of Malacca Town as seen from the tourist observation tower looking towards the Straits. • CIA World Factbook • 2020
Beach sunrise on the Malay Peninsula.
Beach sunrise on the Malay Peninsula. • CIA World Factbook • 2020
Street scene of Malacca Town, the capital of Malacca State, which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Street scene of Malacca Town, the capital of Malacca State, which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. • CIA World Factbook • 2020
CIA World Factbook • 2020
Kuala Lumpur (Muddy Confluence) as seen from the Petronas Twin Towers. As the largest city and capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur serves as the seat of parliament and the official residence of the king.
Kuala Lumpur (Muddy Confluence) as seen from the Petronas Twin Towers. As the largest city and capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur serves as the seat of parliament and the official residence of the king. • CIA World Factbook • 2020
29 photos available
View All Photos→Data sources: World Bank, UN Data • Updated daily •Learn about our data