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In 2023, the urban population in Malaysia reached approximately 27.65 million people. In the last decade, the urban population in Malaysia has increased by more than five million people, indicating an upward trend in urbanization.

Rapid urbanization

In 2023, approximately 78 percent of Malaysia’s population lived in urban areas and cities. This puts Malaysia as one of Southeast Asia’s most urbanized countries. The metropolitan area of Greater Kuala Lumpur had a population of more than eight million in that year, making it Malaysia’s biggest urban area. However, about twice as many Malaysians lived in cities with half a million inhabitants or less.

Urban-rural divide

For many Malaysians, urbanization brought about more and better economic opportunities and job prospects. The average monthly income for urban households was more than 3,000 Malaysian ringgit higher than that of rural households. Poverty rates in rural areas were also significantly higher than that in urban areas. Even so, the countryside still holds a nostalgic place in the hearts of Malaysians, encapsulated in the romanticized idea of the ‘kampung’ or Malay village.