Regions of Malaysia: population and official figures
Malaysia is divided into 16 regions. The largest by population is Selangor with 7,454,200 people (21.7% of the total); the smallest is Labuan with 101,100. Figures are from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (population, household income and poverty, Labour Force Survey, GDP by state) and the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education open data. Hospital beds count government hospitals only; school counts cover government primary and secondary schools.
Who governs Malaysia's regions?
States (13) and federal territories (3: Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Labuan): State assemblies elected; chief minister (menteri besar) from the majority. Federal territories run by a federal ministry with no elected assembly. States control land, local government and Islamic affairs.
How local power works in Malaysia · Level 5: devolved and state governments worldwide
All 16 regions, largest first
| # | Region | Population | Year | Growth (1 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Selangor | 7,454,200 | 2026 | +0.6% |
| 2 | Johor | 4,224,300 | 2026 | +0.5% |
| 3 | Sabah | 3,767,000 | 2026 | +0.3% |
| 4 | Perak | 2,577,900 | 2026 | +0.2% |
| 5 | Sarawak | 2,539,800 | 2026 | +0.4% |
| 6 | Kedah | 2,237,400 | 2026 | +0.5% |
| 7 | Kuala Lumpur | 2,082,300 | 2026 | +0.3% |
| 8 | Kelantan | 1,925,300 | 2026 | +1.0% |
| 9 | Penang | 1,808,300 | 2026 | +0.2% |
| 10 | Pahang | 1,686,200 | 2026 | +0.6% |
| 11 | Terengganu | 1,260,900 | 2026 | +1.2% |
| 12 | Negeri Sembilan | 1,248,500 | 2026 | +0.4% |
| 13 | Melaka | 1,057,400 | 2026 | +0.5% |
| 14 | Perlis | 297,300 | 2026 | +0.1% |
| 15 | Putrajaya | 121,400 | 2026 | +0.6% |
| 16 | Labuan | 101,100 | 2026 | +0.2% |
Cities: the largest cities of Malaysia.
More on Malaysia: official statistics · government and power · local power
Sources
- Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM): Population Table: States, 1970-2026 by sex, age group and ethnicity (census-adjusted in census years, mid-year estimates otherwise), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a3ac1a8831a4…)
- Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM): Household Income and Expenditure Survey by state, 2022 and 2024: mean and median household income, mean household expenditure, Gini coefficient, absolute poverty rate, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 2006002bbfb2…)
- Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM): Labour Force Survey by state and sex, annual: labour force, employed, unemployed, participation and unemployment rates, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 9c83959fa3e0…)
- Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM): GDP by state, supply side, at constant 2015 prices (RM million) by sector, 2015-2025, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0478e221408f…)
- Ministry of Health Malaysia: Hospital Beds by State and Hospital Type: public sector hospital beds, 2015-2024 (Health Informatics Centre records), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 97cb4cd999b5…)
- Ministry of Education Malaysia: Public Education Institutions by District: government primary and secondary schools (EMIS) and public higher education institutions, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 22a8ac4b1fa4…)
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