Parts of this article (those related to the statistics for Population and Culture section) need to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(August 2020)
For other uses, see Malaysian (disambiguation).
For information on the population of Malaysia, see Demographics of Malaysia.
Not to be confused with Malays (ethnic group).
Malaysians
Orang Malaysia(Malay) أورڠ مليسيا (Jawi)
Flag of Malaysia
Map of the Malaysian diaspora around the world
Total population
c. 30–32 million (Malaysian diaspora 1,730,152)[1]
Regions with significant populations
Malaysia34,722,000 (2017 est.) (excluding the diaspora)[2]
Christmas Island Minority populations
More than 981[3]
Singapore
952,261[1]
Australia
174,136[1]
United Kingdom
84,638[1]
United States
77,647[4][1]
Brunei
52,001[5][6][1]
China
26,248[7][1]
Canada
25,337[1]
Japan
18,821 (2017)[8]
New Zealand
8,661 (2019)[1]
India
12,228[1]
Libya
8,404[1]
Germany
5,676[1]
Ireland
4,595[1]
Netherlands
4,036[1]
Brazil
2,608[9]
Indonesia
2,363[1]
Languages
Malay, English Malayic • North Bornean • Melanau-Kajang • Aslian • Land Dayak • Sama–Bajaw • Philippine languages
Religion
Predominantly Islam
63.5% Minority
Buddhism 18.7%
Christianity 9.1%
Hinduism 6.1%
Related ethnic groups
Filipinos Indonesians
Malaysians are citizens who are identified with the country of Malaysia. Although citizens make up the majority of Malaysians, non-citizen residents and overseas Malaysians may also claim a Malaysian identity.[10]
The country is home to people of various national, ethnic and religious origins. As a result, many Malaysians do not equate their nationality with ethnicity, but with citizenship and allegiance to Malaysia. Majority of the population, however, belong to several clearly defined racial groups within the country with their own distinct cultures and traditions: Malays, Orang Asli (aboriginal population), Malaysian Chinese (primarily Han Chinese), Malaysian Indians (primarily Tamils). The majority of the non-Malay and non-aboriginal population in modern Malaysia is made up of immigrants and their descendants. Following the initial period of Portuguese, Dutch and then significantly longer British colonisation, different waves (or peaks) of immigration and settlement of non-aboriginal peoples took place over the course of nearly five centuries and continue today.[11]
Malayan independence from the United Kingdom in 1957 grew gradually over the course of latter part of the 20th century since the formation of the Federation of Malaya in 1948 (excluding Crown Colony of Singapore, Crown Colony of North Borneo and Crown Colony of Sarawak). World War II in particular gave rise to a desire amongst Malayans to have their country recognised as a fully-fledged sovereign state with a distinct citizenship.
^ abcdefghijklmno"International migrant stock 2019". United Nations. 2019. International migrant stock – By destination and origin. Retrieved 25 June 2020. Figures includes Malaysians in UN member nations
direct link to .xlsx file: [1]
In Table 1 under Column EE "Malaysia", Rows are the destinations.
^"Malaysia Population Clock". Department of Statistics, Malaysia. Archived from the original on 5 December 2013. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
^Simone Dennis (2008). Christmas Island: An Anthropological Study. Cambria Press. pp. 91–. ISBN 9781604975109.
^"Total ancestry categories tallied for people with one or more ancestry categories reported 2010 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 18 January 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2012.
^"Leveraging on Malaysian diaspora". The Star. 16 March 2012. Archived from the original on 6 October 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
^Soong Siew Hoong (29 March 2012). "Some Statistics on Malaysian Working in Overseas Countries in OIC; Commonwealth; BRICS; PIIGS; UN" (PDF). Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
^Sara Cluster (21 August 2012). "Malaysia PM: study hard abroad and return home". The Pie News. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
^"Japan-Malaysia Relations (Basic Data)". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. 7 July 2018. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
^"Imigrantes internacionais registrados no Brasil". www.nepo.unicamp.br. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
^Neville Spykerman; Michelle Tam; Victoria Brown (3 May 2015). "Survey: Most prefer to be known as Malaysian". The Star. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
Malaysians are citizens who are identified with the country of Malaysia. Although citizens make up the majority of Malaysians, non-citizen residents and...
representation of East Malaysia. The media have been blamed for increasing tension between Indonesia and Malaysia, and giving Malaysians a bad image of Indonesians...
an additional 350,000 Malaysians cross the Johor–Singapore Causeway daily for work and school in the city-state. Many Malaysians in Singapore are usually...
Chinese Malaysians, also commonly called locally as Malaysian Chinese, are Malaysian citizens of Han Chinese ethnicity. They form the second-largest ethnic...
is the reverse of the immigration to Malaysia. Malaysia does not keep track of emigration, and counts of Malaysians abroad are thus only available courtesy...
Javanese Malaysians are people of full or partial Javanese descent who were born in or immigrated to Malaysia. They form a significant part of Malaysia's population...
as such by most Malaysians. Other Indian fringe parties include the pro-Barisan Nasional Malaysian Indian United Party (MIUP), Malaysia Makkal Sakti Party...
Tamil Malaysians, also known as Malaysian Tamilar, are people of full or partial Tamil descent who were born in or immigrated to Malaysia from Tamil Nadu...
Africans in Malaysia or African Malaysians, are people of full or partial African descent who were born in or immigrated to Malaysia. Immigration from...
the large number of Malaysians pursuing higher education in the United States, and by the large number of English-speaking Malaysians in cities employed...
mainly in MalaysiaMalaysian people, people who are identified with the country of Malaysia regardless of their ethnicities. Most Malaysians are of Malay...
descent. Most of them are Malaysians of Indian origin. As of 2015, an estimated 12,442 Malaysians, mostly working for Malaysian-based companies as well...
The Arab Malaysians (Malay: Orang Arab Malaysia; Arabic: ماليزيون عرب; Jawi: اورڠ عرب مليسيا) consists of people of full or partial Arab descent (specifically...
This is a list of Malaysian billionaires based on an annual assessment of wealth and assets compiled and published by Forbes magazine in 2024. The World's...
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (MH370/MAS370) was an international passenger flight operated by Malaysia Airlines that disappeared from radar on 8 March...
Malaysian South Korean or South Korean Malaysian may refer to: Malaysians in South Korea South Koreans in MalaysiaMalaysia–South Korea relations Multiracial...
means, grouped by their area of notability. Malaysians of Malay descent Malaysians of Chinese descent Malaysians of Indian descent Johor Kedah Kelantan Kuala...
Peninsular Malaysia, historically known as Malaya, also known as West Malaysia or the "Malaysian Peninsula", is the western part of Malaysia that comprises...
Korean Malaysian or Malaysian Korean may refer to: Malaysia–North Korea relations Malaysia–South Korea relations Koreans in MalaysiaMalaysians in North...
India. This list also includes emigrant Malaysians of Indian origin and could be taken as a list of famous Malaysians of Indian origin. Tan Sri Dato' Dr.M...
"MalaysianMalaysia" argue that it is wrong and illogical for a particular ethnic group to think that they are more entitled to be called Malaysians than...
languages and multiple language rules, it is understandable only to Malaysians. Many Malaysians are able to speak their native language fluently but choose to...
Malaysian Australians (Malay: orang Malaysia Australia) refers to Malaysians who have migrated to Australia or Australian-born citizens who are of Malaysian...
Bangladeshi Malaysians consists of people of full or partial Bangladeshi descent who were born in or immigrated to Malaysia. Bangladeshis in Malaysia form a...
Timorese Malaysians or Florenese Malaysians consists of people of full or partial Timorese descent who were born in or immigrated to Malaysia. Timorese...
Sri Lankan Malaysians are people of full or partial Sri Lankan descent who were born in or immigrated to Malaysia. The Ceylonese (mostly Tamils with smaller...
Filipino Malaysians consists of people of full or partial Filipino descent who were born in or immigrated to Malaysia. Filipinos in Malaysia comprise...
The prime minister of Malaysia (Malay: Perdana Menteri Malaysia; Jawi: ڤردان منتري مليسيا) is the head of government of Malaysia. The prime minister directs...
Global Information
Malaysia 34,722,000 (2017 est.)
Christmas Island
Singapore
Australia
United Kingdom
United States
Brunei
China
Canada
Japan
New Zealand
India
Libya
Germany
Ireland
Netherlands
Brazil
Indonesia
Islam
63.5%