MigrantoMigration trends in Malaysia
Asia
Malaysia takes in more people than it loses: 3.6M immigrants against 2.4M emigrants. Net balance +1.1M — 3% of the country's population
35.6M
Population
3.6M
Immigrants
2.4M
Emigrants
+1.1M
Inflow
1 in 10 residents of Malaysia was born abroad — and 1 in 16 people born in Malaysia lives abroad
#17 in the world by net migration gain
Top corridors
The largest migration flows in Malaysia
Key moments
How migration has changed since 1990
1990
905.3K immigrants · 663.7K emigrants
1995
- The foreign-born population passed 1M residents
2000
- The diaspora passed 1M people
2005
- Entered the world's 20 biggest immigrant destinations
- Surge of immigrants from India — 116K new arrivals
- Net migration doubled — the surplus reached 755.9K
- A significant migration corridor emerged from Nepal — 192.3K new residents
2010
- Rose into the 3 biggest immigrant destinations in Asia
- A surge of arrivals — the foreign-born population jumped 43%
- Roughly 1 in 10 residents was now foreign-born
- Surge of immigrants from Bangladesh — 264.1K new arrivals
2020
- Indonesia became a significant new destination — 94.5K residents had moved there
Today
- Since 1990: 2.7M more foreign-born residents and 1.8M more emigrants
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
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