Malaysia Population Pyramid 1978
Malaysia in 1978
The population of Malaysia in 1978 was 12,328,158. A decade earlier, in 1968, the population was 9,725,282; it has grown by 26.8% since.
Half of the population was younger than 19.3 years; 40.1% were children under 15 and 3.3% were 65 or older. The pyramid is expansive: its wide base of young cohorts reflects high fertility and a rapidly growing population.
Data source: United Nations World Population Prospects, 2024 revision (medium variant) — last updated July 2024.
The fertility rate of Malaysia was 1.55 births per woman in 2023, under the 2.1 needed to replace each generation.
Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, latest available year.
Life expectancy at birth was 76.7 years in 2023: 79.4 for women and 74.3 for men.
Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, latest available year.
3,566,509 immigrants live in Malaysia, 10.0% of the population.
| Indonesia | 1,761,502 |
| Nepal | 502,596 |
| Myanmar | 308,095 |
| Bangladesh | 282,437 |
| Philippines | 255,520 |
2,433,805 people born in Malaysia live in other countries.
| Singapore | 1,553,249 |
| Bangladesh | 274,253 |
| Australia | 181,202 |
| Indonesia | 161,013 |
| United Kingdom | 66,932 |
Source: United Nations International Migrant Stock 2024.
| Country | Population | Median age | Relative size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malaysia | 12,328,158 | 19.3 | |
| Cambodia | 5,211,653 | 17.4 | |
| Laos | 3,171,741 | 18.1 | |
| Singapore | 2,360,603 | 23.6 | |
| Timor-Leste | 628,776 | 20.9 |





