Map of Malaysia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

top of page


Background: During the late 18th and 19th centuries Great Britain established colonies and protectorates in the area of current Malaysia; these were occupied by Japan 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. The first several years of the country's independence were marred by a communist insurgency Indonesian confrontation with Malaysia Philippine claims to Sabah and Singapore's withdrawal in 1965. During the 22-year term of Prime Minister MAHATHIR bin 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. Prime Minister Mohamed NAJIB bin Abdul Razak (in office since April 2009) has continued these pro-business policies. Malaysia assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2015-16 term.


top of page


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

Geographic coordinates: 2 30 N 112 30 E

Map reference: Southeast Asia

Area
Total: 329,847 km²
Land: 328,657 km²
Water: 1190 km²
Rank: 67
Comparative: slightly larger than New Mexico

Land boundaries
Total: 2,742 km
Border countries: (3) Brunei 266 km; Indonesia 1881 km; Thailand 595 km

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

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation; specified boundary in the South China Sea

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
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m: highest point: Gunung Kinabalu 4,100 m

Natural resources: tin petroleum timber copper iron ore natural gas bauxite

Land use
Agricultural land: 23.2%
Forest: 62%
Other: 14.8%

Irrigated land: 3,800 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: flooding; landslides; forest fires

Geography
Note: strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China Sea


top of page


Population: 30,949,962 (July 2016 est.)
Rank: 42
Growth rate: 1.4% (2016 est.)
Growth rate rank: 83
Below poverty line: 3.8% (2009 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Malaysian
Adjective: Malaysian

Ethnic groups: Malay 50.1% Chinese 22.6% indigenous 11.8% Indian 6.7% other 0.7% non-citizens 8.2% (2010 est.)

Languages: Bahasa Malaysia (official) English Chinese (Cantonese Mandarin Hokkien Hakka Hainan Foochow) Tamil Telugu Malayalam Panjabi Thai
Note: in East Malaysia there are several indigenous languages; most widely spoken are Iban and Kadazan

Religions: Muslim (official) 61.3% Buddhist 19.8% Christian 9.2% Hindu 6.3% Confucianism Taoism other traditional Chinese religions 1.3% other 0.4% none 0.8% unspecified 1% (2010 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 28.16%
15-24 years: 16.86%
25-54 years: 41.06%
55-64 years: 8.06%
65 years and over: 5.86% (2016 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 43.6%
Youth dependency ratio: 35.2%
Elderly dependency ratio: 8.4%
Potential support ratio: 11.9%

Median age
Total: 28.2 years
Male: 28 years
Female: 28.5 years
Rank: 130

Population growth rate: 1.4% (2016 est.)
Rank: 83

Birth rate: 19.4 births/1000 population (2016 est.)
Rank: 85

Death rate: 5.1 deaths/1000 population (2016 est.)
Rank: 186

Net migration rate: -0.3 migrant(s)/1000 population (2016 est.)
Rank: 121

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 74.7% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 2.66% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: KUALA LUMPUR (capital) 6.837 million; Johor Bahru 912,000 (2015)

Environment
Current issues: air pollution from industrial and vehicular emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; deforestation; smoke/haze from Indonesian forest fires
International agreements party to: Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Endangered Species Hazardous Wastes Law of the Sea Marine Life Conservation Ozone Layer Protection Ship Pollution Tropical Timber 83 Tropical Timber 94 Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.07 male/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male/female
15-24 years: 1.03 male/female
25-54 years: 1.02 male/female
55-64 years: 1.03 male/female
65 years and over: 0.9 male/female
Total population: 1.03 male/female

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 12.9 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 14.9 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 10.8 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 113

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 75 years
Male: 72.2 years
Female: 78 years
Rank: 110

Total fertility rate: 2.53 children born/woman (2016 est.)
Rank: 77

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 1.2 physicians/1000 population (2010)

Hospital bed density: 1.9 beds/1000 population (2012)

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.4% (2015 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 72
People living with hivaids: 91,600 (2015 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 44
Deaths: 7,200 (2015 est.)
Deaths rank: 27

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: intermediate
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever
Water contact disease: leptospirosis

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 12.9% (2014)
Rank: 123

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 12.9% (2006)
Rank: 58

Education expenditures: 6.1% of GDP (2013)
Rank: 46

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 94.6%
Male: 96.2%
Female: 93.2%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 14 years
Male: NA
Female: NA

Youth unemployment


top of page


Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Malaysia
Local long form: none
Local short form: Malaysia
Former: Federation of Malaya
Etymology: the name means 'Land of the Malays'

Government type: federal constitutional monarchy
Note: nominally headed by paramount ruler and a bicameral Parliament consisting of a nonelected upper house and an elected lower house; all Peninsular Malaysian states have hereditary rulers (commonly referred to as sultans) except Melaka (Malacca) and Pulau Pinang (Penang); those two states along with Sabah and Sarawak in East Malaysia have governors appointed by government; powers of state governments are limited by federal constitution; under terms of federation Sabah and Sarawak retain certain constitutional prerogatives (e.g. right to maintain their own immigration controls)

Capital
Name: Kuala Lumpur; note - nearby Putrajaya is referred to as a federal government administrative center but not the capital; Parliament meets in Kuala Lumpur
Geographic coordinates: 3 10 N 101 42 E
Time difference: UTC+8

Administrative divisions: 13 states (negeri-negeri singular - negeri); Johor Kedah Kelantan Melaka Negeri Sembilan Pahang Perak Perlis Pulau Pinang Sabah Sarawak Selangor Terengganu; and 1 federal territory (Wilayah Persekutuan) with 3 components Kuala Lumpur Labuan and Putrajaya

Dependent areas

Independence: 31 August 1957 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 31 August (1957) (independence of Malaya); Malaysia Day 16 September (1963) (formation of Malaysia)

Constitution: previous 1948; latest drafted 21 February 1957 effective 27 August 1957; amended many times last in 2010 (2016)

Legal system: mixed legal system of English common law Islamic law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Federal Court at request of supreme head of the federation

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Malaysia
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 10 out 12 years preceding application

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: King Tuanku ABDUL HALIM Mu'adzam Shah ; the position of the king is primarily ceremonial but he is the final arbiter on the appointment of the prime minister
Head of government: Prime Minister Mohamed NAJIB bin Abdul Najib Razak ; Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad ZAHID Hamidi (since 29 July 2015)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among members of Parliament with the consent of the king
Electionsappointments: king elected by and from the hereditary rulers of 9 states for a 5-year term; election is on a rotational basis among rulers of the 9 states; election last held on 14 October 2016 ; prime minister designated from among members of the House of Representatives; following legislative elections the leader who commands support of the majority of members in the House becomes prime minister
Election results: MUHAMMAD V selected king on 14 October 2016 and will take office 13 December 2016; Mohamed NAJIB bin Abdul Najib Razak sworn in as prime minister for second term on 3 April 2009

Legislative branch
Description: bicameral Parliament or Parlimen consists of the Senate or Dewan Negara and the House of Representatives or Dewan Rakyat (222 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)
Elections: House of Representatives - last held on 5 May 2013
Election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party/coalition - BN 47.4% People's Alliance 50.9% other 1.7%; seats by party/coalition - BN 133 People's Alliance (DAP PAS PKR) 89
Note: seats by party/coalition as of October 2015 - BN 132 PH 72 PAS 14 PSM 1 TERAS 1 independent 2

Judicial branch
Highest court: Federal Court ; note - Malaysia has a dual judicial hierarchy of civil and religious (sharia) courts
Judge selection and term of office: Federal Court justices appointed by the monarch on advice of the prime minister; judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 65
Subordinate courts: Court of Appeal; High Court; Sessions Court; Magistrates' Court

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: ADB APEC ARF ASEAN BIS C CICA (observer) CP D-8 EAS FAO G-15 G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (national committees) ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) MIGA MINURSO MONUSCO NAM OIC OPCW PCA PIF (partner) UN UN Security Council (temporary) UNAMID UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNIFIL UNISFA UNMIL UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador AWANG ADEK Bin Hussin
In the us chancery: 3,516 International Court NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] 572-9,700
In the us FAX: [1] 572-9,882
In the us consulate general: Los Angeles New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph Y. YUN
From the us embassy: 376 Jalan Tun Razak 50,400 Kuala Lumpur
From the us mailing address: US Embassy Kuala Lumpur APO AP 96,535-8,152
From the us telephone: [60] 2,168-5,000
From the us FAX: [60] 2,142-2,207

Flag description: 14 equal horizontal stripes of red (top) alternating with white (bottom); there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a yellow crescent and a yellow 14-pointed star; the flag is often referred to as Jalur Gemilang (Stripes of Glory); the 14 stripes stand for the equal status in the federation of the 13 member states and the federal government; the 14 points on the star represent the unity between these entities; the crescent is a traditional symbol of Islam; blue symbolizes the unity of the Malay people and yellow is the royal color of Malay rulers
Note: the design is based on the flag of the US

National symbols: tiger hibiscus; national colors: red white blue yellow

National anthem
Name: 'Negaraku'
Lyrics and 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 was adopted from a popular French melody titled 'La Rosalie' was originally the anthem of Perak one of Malaysia's 13 states

National heritage


top of page


Economy overview:

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2015 US dollars
Rank: 29

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 42

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2015 US dollars
Rank: 71

Gross national saving:
Rank: 38

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 54.1%
Government consumption: 13.1%
Investment in fixed capital: 26.2%
Investment in inventories: -1.1%
Exports of goods and services: 70.9%
Imports of goods and services: -63.3%

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 8.5%
Industry: 37.7%
Services: 53.8%

Agriculture products: Peninsular Malaysia - palm oil rubber cocoa rice; Sabah - palm oil subsistence crops; rubber timber; Sarawak - palm oil rubber timber; pepper

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

Industrial production growth rate: 5.5% (2015 est.)
Rank: 38

Labor force: 14.52 million (2015 est.)
Rank: 40
By occupation agriculture: 11%
By occupation industry: 36%
By occupation services: 53%

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 26

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 3.8% (2009 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 1.8%
Highest 10: 34.7%

Distribution of family income gini index:
Rank: 33

Budget
Revenues: $56.1 billion
Expenditures: $65.62 billion
Surplus or deficit: -3.2% of GDP (2015 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 122

Taxes and other revenues: 18.9% of GDP (2015 est.)
Rank: 168

Public debt:
Note: this figure is based on the amount of federal government debt; this includes Malaysian Treasury bills and other government securities as well as loans raised externally and bonds and notes issued overseas; this figure excludes debt issued by non-financial public enterprises and guaranteed by the federal government
Rank: 70

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Note: approximately 30% of goods are price-controlled
Rank: 123

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 105

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 146

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 40

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 24

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 28

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 26

Current account balance:
Rank: 24

Exports:
Rank: 27
Commodities: semiconductors and electronic equipment palm oil petroleum and liquefied natural gas wood and wood products palm oil rubber textiles chemicals solar panels
Partners: Singapore 13.9% China 13% Japan 9.5% US 9.4% Thailand 5.7% Hong Kong 4.7% India 4.1% (2015)

Imports:
Rank: 29
Commodities: electronics machinery petroleum products plastics vehicles iron and steel products chemicals
Partners: China 18.8% Singapore 12% US 8.1% Japan 7.8% Thailand 6.1% South Korea 4.5% Indonesia 4.5% (2015)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 24

Debt external:
Rank: 35

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
Rank: 35

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad:
Rank: 28

Exchange rates:


top of page


Electricity
Access population without electricity: 100,000
Access electrification total population: 99.5%
Access electrification urban areas: 99.8%
Access electrification rural areas: 98.7%
Production: 139 billion kWh (2014 est.)
Production rank: 30
Consumption: 131 billion kWh (2014 est.)
Consumption rank: 29
Exports: 12 million kWh (2014 est.)
Exports rank: 89
Imports: 23 million kWh (2014 est.)
Imports rank: 82
Installed generating capacity: 30 million kW (2014 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 30
Generation sources fossil fuels: 87.6% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 82
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 148
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 11.6% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 110
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0.8% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 97

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 654,200 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 26
Crude oil exports: 299,100 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 28
Crude oil imports: 180,200 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 33
Crude oil proven reserves: 3.6 billion bbl (1 January 2016 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 27

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 544,900 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products production rank: 30
Products consumption: 745,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products consumption rank: 30
Products exports: 243,300 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products exports rank: 29
Products imports: 410,200 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products imports rank: 23

Natural gas
Production: 65.42 billion m³ (2014 est.)
Production rank: 14
Consumption: 35.18 billion m³ (2014 est.)
Consumption rank: 30
Exports: 34.87 billion m³ (2014 est.)
Exports rank: 10
Imports: 4.63 billion m³ (2014 est.)
Imports rank: 46
Proven reserves: 1.183 trillion m³ (1 January 2016 es)
Proven reserves rank: 16

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 208 million Mt (2013 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 30

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 4,394,559
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 14
Fixed lines rank: 37
Mobile cellular total: 44.111 million
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 145
Mobile cellular rank: 31

Telephone system
General assessment: modern system featuring good intercity service on Peninsular Malaysia provided mainly by microwave radio relay and an adequate intercity microwave radio relay network between Sabah and Sarawak via Brunei; international service excellent
Domestic: domestic satellite system with 2 earth stations; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 160 per 100 persons
International: country code - 60; landing point for several major international submarine cable networks that provide connectivity to Asia Middle East and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (2015)

Broadcast media: state-owned TV broadcaster operates 2 TV networks with relays throughout the country and the leading private commercial media group operates 4 TV stations with numerous relays throughout the country; satellite TV subscription service is available; state-owned radio broadcaster operates multiple national networks as well as regional and local stations; many private commercial radio broadcasters and some subscription satellite radio services are available; about 55 radio stations overall (2012)

Internet
Country code: .my
Users total: 21.684 million
Users percent of population: 71.1%
Users rank: 40

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures:
Rank: 58

Military and security forces

Military service age and 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 (2013)

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 12
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 263
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 50,347,149
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 2,005,979,379 mt-km

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: 9M (2016)

Airports: 114 (2013)
Rank: 51
With paved runways total: 39
With paved runways over 3047 m: 8
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 8
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 7
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 8
With paved runways under 914 m: 8
With unpaved runways total: 75
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 6
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 69

Heliports: 4 (2013)

Pipelines: condensate 354 km; gas 6,439 km; liquid petroleum gas 155 km; oil 1937 km; oil/gas/water 43 km; refined products 114 km; water 26 km (2013)

Railways
Total: 1849 km
Standard gauge: 59 km 1.435-m gauge
Narrow gauge: 1792 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)
Rank: 74

Roadways
Total: 144,403 km
Paved: 116,169 km
Unpaved: 28,234 km
Rank: 33

Waterways: 7,200 km (Peninsular Malaysia 3,200 km; Sabah 1500 km; Sarawak 2,500 km) (2011)
Rank: 19

Merchant marine
Total: 315
By type: bulk carrier 11 cargo 83 carrier 2 chemical tanker 47 container 41 liquefied gas 34 passenger/cargo 4 petroleum tanker 86 roll on/roll off 2 vehicle carrier 5
Foreign owned: 26
Registered in other countries: 82 (2010)
Rank: 31

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Bintulu Johor Bahru George Town Port Kelang (Port Klang) Tanjung Pelepas
Container port: George Town (Penang)(1,202,180) Port Kelang (Port Klang)(9,435,403) Tanjung Pelepas (7,302,461)
LNG terminal:


top of page


Disputes international: while the 2002 'Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea' has eased tensions over the Spratly Islands it is not the legally binding 'code of conduct' sought by some parties; Malaysia was not party to the March 2005 joint accord among the national oil companies of China the Philippines and Vietnam on conducting marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands; disputes continue over deliveries of fresh water to Singapore Singapore's land reclamation bridge construction and maritime boundaries in the Johor and Singapore Straits; in 2008 ICJ awarded sovereignty of Pedra Branca (Pulau Batu Puteh/Horsburgh Island) to Singapore and Middle Rocks to Malaysia but did not rule on maritime regimes boundaries or disposition of South Ledge; land and maritime negotiations with Indonesia are ongoing and disputed areas include the controversial Tanjung Datu and Camar Wulan border area in Borneo and the maritime boundary in the Ambalat oil block in the Celebes Sea; separatist violence in Thailand's predominantly Muslim southern provinces prompts measures to close and monitor border with Malaysia to stem terrorist activities; Philippines retains a dormant claim to Malaysia's Sabah State in northern Borneo; per Letters of Exchange signed in 2009 Malaysia in 2010 ceded two hydrocarbon concession blocks to Brunei in exchange for Brunei's sultan dropping claims to the Limbang corridor which divides Brunei; piracy remains a problem in the Malacca Strait

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 88,637 (Burma) (2015)
Stateless persons: 11,689 ; note - Malaysia's stateless population consists of Rohingya refugees from Burma ethnic Indians and the children of Filipino and Indonesian illegal migrants; Burma stripped the Rohingya of their nationality in 1982; Filipino and Indonesian children who have not have been registered for birth certificates by their parents or who received birth certificates stamped 'foreigner' are not eligible to attend government schools; these children are vulnerable to statelessness should they not be able to apply to their parents' country of origin for passports

Illicit drugs: drug trafficking prosecuted vigorously including enforcement of the death penalty; heroin still primary drug of abuse but synthetic drug demand remains strong; continued ecstasy and methamphetamine producer for domestic users and to a lesser extent the regional drug market