Share of the population that is female in Malaysia
Malaysia: Share of the population that is female was 47.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
47.7%
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
201st
of 215 countries
All-time high
49.7%
in 1979
All-time low
47.4%
in 2019
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Share of the population that is female in Malaysia, 1960–2025
Source: United Nations Population Division and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of total.
Analysis
In 2025, share of the population that is female in Malaysia stood at 47.7%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population that is female in Malaysia peaked at 49.7% in 1979 and was at its lowest, 47.4%, in 2019.
Malaysia ranks 201st of 215 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Share of the population that is female in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | % of total | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 49.1% | — |
| 1961 | 49.2% | +0.2% |
| 1962 | 49.2% | +0.2% |
| 1963 | 49.3% | +0.1% |
| 1964 | 49.4% | +0.1% |
| 1965 | 49.4% | +0.1% |
| 1966 | 49.5% | +0.1% |
| 1967 | 49.6% | +0.1% |
| 1968 | 49.6% | +0.1% |
| 1969 | 49.7% | +0.1% |
| 1970 | 49.7% | +0.1% |
| 1971 | 49.7% | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 49.7% | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 49.7% | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 49.7% | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 49.7% | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 49.7% | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 49.7% | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 49.7% | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 49.7% | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 49.7% | -0.1% |
| 1981 | 49.6% | -0.1% |
| 1982 | 49.6% | -0.1% |
| 1983 | 49.5% | -0.2% |
| 1984 | 49.4% | -0.2% |
| 1985 | 49.3% | -0.2% |
| 1986 | 49.3% | -0.1% |
| 1987 | 49.2% | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 49.1% | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 49.1% | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 49.0% | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 49.0% | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 48.9% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 48.9% | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 48.8% | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 48.8% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 48.8% | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 48.7% | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 48.7% | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 48.7% | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 48.6% | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 48.6% | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 48.5% | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 48.4% | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 48.4% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 48.3% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 48.3% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 48.2% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 48.1% | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 48.1% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 48.0% | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 48.0% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 47.9% | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 47.8% | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 47.7% | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 47.6% | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 47.6% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 47.5% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 47.5% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 47.4% | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 47.4% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 47.5% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 47.5% | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 47.6% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 47.6% | +0.1% |
| 2025 | 47.7% | +0.1% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 47.7% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 50.3%, 95% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 47.7% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 49.8%, 96% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 49.4% | 49.1% | 49.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 49.7% | 49.7% | 49.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 49.4% | 49.1% | 49.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 48.8% | 48.7% | 49.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 48.4% | 48.1% | 48.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 47.7% | 47.4% | 48.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 47.6% | 47.4% | 47.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
- 198 Faroe Islands 48.4% compare
- 199 Singapore 48.3% compare
- 200 Malta 48.1% compare
- 202 Greenland 47.5% compare
- 203 Equatorial Guinea 47.3% compare
- 204 Northern Mariana Islands 47.1% compare
More gender data for Malaysia
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 7,206 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -1.39 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 30,756 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 30,756 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 1.62 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 214,187 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 227,793 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 214,543 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 228,149 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 213,108 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population that is female in Malaysia?
- Share of the population that is female in Malaysia was 47.7% in 2025, according to United Nations Population Division and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of the population that is female recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 49.7% in 1979.
- What is the lowest share of the population that is female recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 47.4% in 2019.
- How does Malaysia rank for share of the population that is female?
- Malaysia ranks 201st out of 215 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of the population that is female rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Population Division and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population that is female. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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