Air passengers in Malaysia

Malaysia: Air passengers was 46.70 million in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
46.70 million
Change on year
up 66.7%
World rank
24th
of 183 countries
All-time high
63.62 million
in 2019
All-time low
748,900
in 1970
Years of data
54
1970–2023

Air passengers in Malaysia, 1970–2023

020.0M40.0M60.0M197019962023

Source: International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

Malaysia recorded 46.70 million for air passengers in 2023.

That represents a change of up 66.7% on the previous year and down 2.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, air passengers in Malaysia peaked at 63.62 million in 2019 and was at its lowest, 748,900, in 1970.

That places Malaysia 24th out of 183 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 2.15 million 748,900 3.49 million 10
1980s 6.19 million 4.52 million 8.69 million 10
1990s 13.70 million 10.24 million 15.59 million 10
2000s 19.06 million 16.11 million 23.77 million 10
2010s 49.63 million 34.24 million 63.62 million 10
2020s 23.89 million 4.97 million 46.70 million 4

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 21 Thailand 51.92 million compare
  2. 22 Saudi Arabia 47.98 million compare
  3. 23 Singapore 47.50 million compare
  4. 25 Austria 46.04 million compare
  5. 26 Colombia 42.40 million compare
  6. 27 Philippines 41.50 million compare

See the full ranking of 183 places →

More reference data data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is air passengers in Malaysia?
Air passengers in Malaysia was 46.70 million in 2023, according to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest air passengers recorded in Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 63.62 million in 2019.
What is the lowest air passengers recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 748,900 in 1970.
How does Malaysia rank for air passengers?
Malaysia ranks 24th out of 183 countries with data for 2023.
Is air passengers rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is down 2.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Malaysia data come from?
The figures come from International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Air passengers. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Air passengers
Source
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
183 places, 7,925 data points, 1970–2023
Last refreshed

Domestic and international passengers of airlines registered in the country. Passengers counted each time they travel.