Urban area long term, annual growth rate in Malaysia

Malaysia: Urban area long term, annual growth rate was 2.09 % change on previous year in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
2.09 % change on previous year
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
74th
of 202 countries
All-time high
5.3 % change on previous year
in 2006
All-time low
1.25 % change on previous year
in 1981
Years of data
75
1951–2025

Urban area long term, annual growth rate in Malaysia, 1951–2025

12345195119882025

Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in % change on previous year.

Analysis

The most recent figure for urban area long term, annual growth rate in Malaysia is 2.09 % change on previous year, measured in 2025.

That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and down 4.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, urban area long term, annual growth rate in Malaysia peaked at 5.3 % change on previous year in 2006 and was at its lowest, 1.25 % change on previous year, in 1981.

That places Malaysia 74th out of 202 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 75 years of available data.

Urban area long term, annual growth rate in Malaysia, year by year

Annual values for Urban area long term, annual growth rate in Malaysia, 1951 to 2025.
Year % change on previous year Change
1951 4.43 % change on previous year —
1952 4.55 % change on previous year +2.7%
1953 4.57 % change on previous year +0.4%
1954 4.53 % change on previous year -0.8%
1955 4.46 % change on previous year -1.7%
1956 4.36 % change on previous year -2.3%
1957 4.23 % change on previous year -3.0%
1958 3.82 % change on previous year -9.6%
1959 3.33 % change on previous year -13.0%
1960 3.27 % change on previous year -1.7%
1961 3.24 % change on previous year -1.0%
1962 4.86 % change on previous year +50.1%
1963 3.19 % change on previous year -34.2%
1964 2.76 % change on previous year -13.4%
1965 2.55 % change on previous year -7.9%
1966 2.23 % change on previous year -12.5%
1967 3.24 % change on previous year +45.4%
1968 2.03 % change on previous year -37.4%
1969 1.87 % change on previous year -7.7%
1970 1.75 % change on previous year -6.6%
1971 1.8 % change on previous year +2.7%
1972 1.43 % change on previous year -20.4%
1973 1.35 % change on previous year -5.5%
1974 3.37 % change on previous year +149.6%
1975 1.56 % change on previous year -53.7%
1976 1.48 % change on previous year -5.5%
1977 1.41 % change on previous year -4.5%
1978 1.4 % change on previous year -1.1%
1979 1.43 % change on previous year +2.4%
1980 1.48 % change on previous year +3.6%
1981 1.25 % change on previous year -15.3%
1982 1.34 % change on previous year +7.1%
1983 1.46 % change on previous year +8.4%
1984 1.59 % change on previous year +9.1%
1985 1.72 % change on previous year +8.6%
1986 1.88 % change on previous year +9.1%
1987 2.02 % change on previous year +7.3%
1988 2.12 % change on previous year +4.8%
1989 2.14 % change on previous year +1.1%
1990 2.16 % change on previous year +0.8%
1991 2.12 % change on previous year -1.7%
1992 2.94 % change on previous year +38.9%
1993 3.06 % change on previous year +4.0%
1994 3.12 % change on previous year +1.8%
1995 3.2 % change on previous year +2.5%
1996 3.29 % change on previous year +3.0%
1997 3.36 % change on previous year +2.0%
1998 3.4 % change on previous year +1.2%
1999 3.38 % change on previous year -0.4%
2000 3.35 % change on previous year -1.1%
2001 3.15 % change on previous year -5.9%
2002 3.23 % change on previous year +2.6%
2003 3.32 % change on previous year +2.7%
2004 3.41 % change on previous year +2.7%
2005 3.5 % change on previous year +2.7%
2006 5.3 % change on previous year +51.3%
2007 3.17 % change on previous year -40.1%
2008 3.15 % change on previous year -0.9%
2009 3.14 % change on previous year -0.3%
2010 3.12 % change on previous year -0.6%
2011 2.16 % change on previous year -30.7%
2012 2.16 % change on previous year +0.2%
2013 2.16 % change on previous year -0.1%
2014 2.18 % change on previous year +0.9%
2015 2.18 % change on previous year -0.1%
2016 2.17 % change on previous year -0.6%
2017 2.21 % change on previous year +2.0%
2018 2.19 % change on previous year -0.6%
2019 2.2 % change on previous year +0.2%
2020 2.2 % change on previous year +0.2%
2021 2.07 % change on previous year -6.2%
2022 1.98 % change on previous year -4.2%
2023 2.18 % change on previous year +10.1%
2024 2.09 % change on previous year -4.3%
2025 2.09 % change on previous year +0.2%

Malaysia compared with similar countries

  • Malaysia's 2.09 % change on previous year is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.66 % change on previous year, 1.3× the median. (52 countries reporting)
  • Malaysia's 2.09 % change on previous year is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.92 % change on previous year, 1.1× the median. (27 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Urban area long term, annual growth rate in Malaysia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1974 +149.6% 1.35 % change on previous year 3.37 % change on previous year
1975 -53.7% 3.37 % change on previous year 1.56 % change on previous year
2006 +51.3% 3.5 % change on previous year 5.3 % change on previous year
1962 +50.1% 3.24 % change on previous year 4.86 % change on previous year
1967 +45.4% 2.23 % change on previous year 3.24 % change on previous year
2007 -40.1% 5.3 % change on previous year 3.17 % change on previous year

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 4.25 % change on previous year 3.33 % change on previous year 4.57 % change on previous year 9
1960s 2.92 % change on previous year 1.87 % change on previous year 4.86 % change on previous year 10
1970s 1.7 % change on previous year 1.35 % change on previous year 3.37 % change on previous year 10
1980s 1.7 % change on previous year 1.25 % change on previous year 2.14 % change on previous year 10
1990s 3 % change on previous year 2.12 % change on previous year 3.4 % change on previous year 10
2000s 3.47 % change on previous year 3.14 % change on previous year 5.3 % change on previous year 10
2010s 2.27 % change on previous year 2.16 % change on previous year 3.12 % change on previous year 10
2020s 2.1 % change on previous year 1.98 % change on previous year 2.2 % change on previous year 6

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 71 Botswana 2.17 % change on previous year compare
  2. 72 Thailand 2.15 % change on previous year compare
  3. 73 Cote d'Ivoire 2.09 % change on previous year compare
  4. 75 Honduras 2.08 % change on previous year compare
  5. 76 Kyrgyzstan 2.07 % change on previous year compare
  6. 77 Philippines 2.05 % change on previous year compare

See the full ranking of 202 places →

More reference data data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is urban area long term, annual growth rate in Malaysia?
Urban area long term, annual growth rate in Malaysia was 2.09 % change on previous year in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
What is the highest urban area long term, annual growth rate recorded in Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 5.3 % change on previous year in 2006.
What is the lowest urban area long term, annual growth rate recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 1.25 % change on previous year in 1981.
How does Malaysia rank for urban area long term, annual growth rate?
Malaysia ranks 74th out of 202 countries with data for 2025.
Is urban area long term, annual growth rate rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is down 4.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Malaysia data come from?
The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Urban area long term, annual growth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Urban area long term, annual growth rate in Malaysia. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 07 November 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/urban-area-long-term-annual-growth-rate/malaysia/

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How this figure is calculated

The year-on-year percentage change in Urban area long term. Computed from consecutive annual observations; years either side of a gap are skipped rather than bridged.

Computed from

Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.

About this data

Indicator
Urban area long term, annual growth rate
Unit
% change on previous year
Source
Statizoid (derived)
Licence
Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage
202 places, 15,150 data points, 1951–2025
Last refreshed

The year-on-year percentage change in Urban area long term. Computed from consecutive annual observations; years either side of a gap are skipped rather than bridged.