KUALA LUMPUR, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia's population is estimated to have reached 34.4 million in 2026, up from 34.2 million a year earlier, reflecting a 0.5 percent annual growth rate, according to official data released on Friday.
The citizen population rose to 31 million from 30.8 million in 2025, maintaining a 0.6 percent growth rate. In contrast, the non-citizen population continued to decline, shrinking by 0.2 percent after a 0.5 percent contraction in 2025, the Department of Statistics Malaysia said in a statement.
Citizens accounted for 90.2 percent of the total population, up slightly from 90.1 percent in 2025.
By ethnicity, Bumiputera remained the largest group at 70.7 percent of citizens, comprising 58.4 percent Malays and 12.3 percent other Bumiputera. The Chinese share edged down to 22 percent from 22.2 percent, while Indians and other ethnic groups remained unchanged at 6.5 percent and 0.8 percent, respectively. ■