Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Malaysia
Malaysia: Do more people live in urban or rural areas? was 77.4% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Malaysia, 1000–2025
Source: HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Malaysia is 77.4%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 108 years on record.
The figure is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 5.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Malaysia peaked at 77.4% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1000.
That places Malaysia 82nd out of 238 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1100s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1200s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1300s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1400s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1500s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 1600s | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 1 |
| 1700s | 2.0% | 2.0% | 2.0% | 1 |
| 1710s | 2.3% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 1 |
| 1720s | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 1 |
| 1730s | 2.8% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 1 |
| 1740s | 3.0% | 3.0% | 3.0% | 1 |
| 1750s | 3.3% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 1 |
| 1760s | 3.6% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 1 |
| 1770s | 4.0% | 4.0% | 4.0% | 1 |
| 1780s | 4.3% | 4.3% | 4.3% | 1 |
| 1790s | 4.7% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 1 |
| 1800s | 5.2% | 5.2% | 5.2% | 1 |
| 1810s | 5.7% | 5.7% | 5.7% | 1 |
| 1820s | 6.2% | 6.2% | 6.2% | 1 |
| 1830s | 6.8% | 6.8% | 6.8% | 1 |
| 1840s | 7.5% | 7.5% | 7.5% | 1 |
| 1850s | 8.2% | 8.2% | 8.2% | 1 |
| 1860s | 9.0% | 9.0% | 9.0% | 1 |
| 1870s | 9.8% | 9.8% | 9.8% | 1 |
| 1880s | 10.8% | 10.8% | 10.8% | 1 |
| 1890s | 11.8% | 11.8% | 11.8% | 1 |
| 1900s | 12.9% | 12.9% | 12.9% | 1 |
| 1910s | 14.2% | 14.2% | 14.2% | 1 |
| 1920s | 15.5% | 15.5% | 15.5% | 1 |
| 1930s | 17.0% | 17.0% | 17.0% | 1 |
| 1940s | 18.6% | 18.6% | 18.6% | 1 |
| 1950s | 23.3% | 20.6% | 25.7% | 10 |
| 1960s | 27.6% | 26.1% | 29.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 31.3% | 29.4% | 33.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 40.2% | 34.2% | 47.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 55.1% | 49.0% | 60.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 66.4% | 62.0% | 70.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 73.1% | 70.9% | 74.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 76.2% | 75.1% | 77.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More reference data data for Malaysia
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.3171 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.4881 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.0702 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.2047 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.4538 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 134.6 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Malaysia?
- Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Malaysia was 77.4% in 2025, according to HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 77.4% in 2025.
- What is the lowest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1000.
- How does Malaysia rank for do more people live in urban or rural areas??
- Malaysia ranks 82nd out of 238 countries with data for 2025.
- Is do more people live in urban or rural areas? rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Do more people live in urban or rural areas?. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 108 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, combining UN estimates with modelled historical data.