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.

Area
Total: 329,847 km²
Land: 328,657 km²
Water: 1,190 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than New Mexico

Land boundaries
Total: 2,742 km
Border countries (3): (3) Brunei 266 km; Indonesia 1,881 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
Highest point: Gunung Kinabalu 4,095 m
Lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
Mean elevation: 419 m

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.)

Irrigated land: 4,420 km² (2022)

Natural hazards: flooding; landslides; forest fires

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

Population
Total: 34,564,810 (2024 est.)
Male: 17,666,212
Female: 16,898,598
Distribution: a highly uneven distribution, with over 80% of the population residing on the Malay Peninsula
Growth rate: 0.99% (2024 est.)

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); The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Note: Malaysia has 134 languages (112 indigenous and 22 non-indigenous); in East Malaysia, there are several indigenous languages, and the most widely spoken are Iban and Kadazan

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.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 22.2% (male 3,947,914/female 3,730,319)
15-64 years: 69.4% (male 12,308,938/female 11,666,947)
65 years and over: 8.4% (2024 est.) (male 1,409,360/female 1,501,332)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 44.2 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 32 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 12.1 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 8.2 (2024 est.)

Median age
Total: 31.8 years (2024 est.)
Male: 31.7 years
Female: 31.9 years

Population growth rate: 0.99% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 14.2 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 5.8 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Population distribution: a highly uneven distribution, with over 80% of the population residing on the Malay Peninsula

Urbanization
Urban population: 78.7% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.87% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 8.622 million KUALA LUMPUR (capital), 1.086 million Johor Bahru, 857,000 Ipoh (2023)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 26 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 6.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 6.8 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 6 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 76.6 years (2024 est.)
Male: 75 years
Female: 78.4 years

Total fertility rate: 1.73 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Drinking water source
Urban: 0.9% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 9.9% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 2.8% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 15.3% (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 3.9% (2024 est.); 3.9% (2023 est.); 4% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Capital
Name: Kuala Lumpur
Geographic coordinates: 3 10 N, 101 42 E
Time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: the name means 'muddy river junction,' referring to the city's location on the confluence of the Kelang and Gombak rivers; it comes from the Malay words kuala (river junction or estuary) and lumpur (mud)
Note: nearby Putrajaya is referred to as a federal government administrative center but not as the capital; the legislature meets in Kuala Lumpur

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

Legal system: mixed system of English common law, Islamic law (sharia), and customary law; the Federal Court can review legislative acts at the request of the supreme head of the federation

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

Executive branch
Chief of state: King Sultan IBRAHIM ibni al-Marhum Sultan Iskandar (since 31 January 2024)
Head of government: Prime Minister ANWAR Ibrahim (since 24 November 2022)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among members of Parliament with the consent of the king
Election/appointment process: 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; prime minister designated from among members of the House of Representatives; following legislative elections, the leader who has support of the majority of members in the House becomes prime minister
Most recent election date: 24 October 2023
Expected date of next election: October 2,028, with inauguration in January 2,029
Note: the position of the king is primarily ceremonial, but he is the final arbiter on the appointment of the prime minister

Legislative branch
Legislature name: Parliament (Parlimen)
Legislative structure: bicameral

Flag description: 14 equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white; a dark blue rectangle in the upper-left corner has a yellow crescent and a 14-pointed yellow star

National anthem
Title: 'Negaraku' (My Country)
Lyrics/music: collective, led by Tunku ABDUL RAHMAN/Pierre Jean DE BERANGER
History: adopted 1957; full version only performed in the king's presence, the shorter version performed for the queen and lesser officials

National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites: 6 (4 cultural, 2 natural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales:

Real gdp growth rate: 5.1% (2024 est.); 3.6% (2023 est.); 8.9% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: 5.1% (2024 est.); 3.6% (2023 est.); 8.9% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 60.8% (2024 est.)
Government consumption: 12% (2024 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 20.6% (2024 est.)
Investment in inventories: 1.3% (2024 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 71.4% (2024 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -66% (2024 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 8.2% (2024 est.)
Industry: 37.1% (2024 est.)
Services: 53.6% (2024 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

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: 4.9% (2024 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force: 18.264 million (2024 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 3.9% (2024 est.); 3.9% (2023 est.); 4% (2022 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 3.9% (2024 est.); 3.9% (2023 est.); 4% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Budget
Revenues: $69.055 billion (2023 est.)
Expenditures: $89.046 billion (2023 est.)
Note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Taxes and other revenues: 12.6% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Exports: $301.789 billion (2024 est.); $274.1 billion (2023 est.); $312.88 billion (2022 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: integrated circuits, refined petroleum, crude petroleum, natural gas, palm oil (2023)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $279.09 billion (2024 est.); $253.665 billion (2023 est.); $283.758 billion (2022 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: integrated circuits, refined petroleum, crude petroleum, coal, broadcasting equipment (2023)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Electricity
Installed generating capacity: 37.22 million kW (2023 est.)
Consumption: 178.653 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Exports: 1.2 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Imports: 61.678 million kWh (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 13.188 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Access electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 81.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources solar: 1.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 16.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 0.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal
Production: 4.476 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Consumption: 35.741 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Exports: 462,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Imports: 31.706 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 226 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 582,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 672,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 3.6 billion barrels (2021 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 74.32 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Consumption: 47.112 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Exports: 37.451 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Imports: 3.359 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 1.189 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 260.005 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 76.78 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 90.273 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 92.951 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 113.163 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 8.402 million (2023 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 24 (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 50.1 million (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 141 (2022 est.)

Internet
Users percent of population: 98% (2023 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 4.58 million (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 13 (2023 est.)

Military expenditures: 1% of GDP (2024 est.); 0.9% of GDP (2023 est.); 1.1% of GDP (2022 est.); 1% of GDP (2021 est.); 1.1% of GDP (2020 est.)

Airports: 100 (2025)

Heliports: 24 (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)

Merchant marine
Total: 1,750 (2023)
By type: bulk carrier 14, container ship 35, general cargo 169, oil tanker 148, other 1,384