my.Malaysia: The country's population is growing at a faster rate, here's why

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s population is experiencing a slightly faster growth rate, primarily due to an increase in non-citizens. An analysis of the Statistic Department’s district population estimates reveals that all but one of the country’s 156 districts have seen an increase in residents. The current estimated population of Malaysia is 33.4 million and is projected to grow by 2.1% this year, surpassing the growth rates of 0.4% in 2022 and 0.3% in 2021.

The population growth in Malaysia is mainly driven by the rising number of non-citizens, which increased by 17% this year to 2.96 million, compared to 2.5 million last year. This marks the highest growth rate since pre-pandemic levels. In contrast, the citizen population only grew by a mere 0.7% to 30.4 million, up from 30.2 million last year.

In the past, the decline in the number of non-citizens and the increase in the crude death rate, mainly attributed to Covid-19, hindered Malaysia’s population growth. However, it is estimated that the figures will improve in 2023 as foreign workers return to the country.

Gender-wise, Malaysia’s population is more male-dominated due to the presence of a large number of male foreign workers and higher male birth rates.

On the district level, Sabah’s Kinabatangan, Semporna, Kunak, and Beluran have witnessed the highest population growth rates nationwide, mainly driven by an increase in non-citizens. Conversely, only one out of 156 districts is expected to experience a population decline in 2023 compared to 31% in 2022.

The data does not include the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, and Labuan. Birth rates in Malaysia have been declining, with crude birth rates per 1,000 births dropping to 13.5 in 2021. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic and the closure of international borders have contributed to the decrease in the number of non-citizens and the slow population growth in the country.

Malaysia’s population is not evenly distributed among states and districts. The population density and number of households vary across different districts.

When it comes to population age, Kelantan and Sabah have relatively younger average population ages, while some districts in Sarawak and Penang have older populations.

my.Malaysia is a series of data stories that presents interesting facts and figures on various aspects of Malaysia.