Where Malaysians move
2.4M Malaysians live abroad — #32 largest source of emigrants worldwide
Considering a move from Malaysia? — See top destinations, regional flows, and how it's changed since 1990.
Where emigrants go
The top 3 countries receive 83% of all emigrants
↑↓ — change vs 2020
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| Singapore | 1553249 |
| Bangladesh | 274253 |
| Australia | 181202 |
| Indonesia | 161013 |
| United Kingdom | 66932 |
| Brunei Darussalam | 56375 |
| Canada | 24975 |
| Taiwan | 24506 |
| New Zealand | 23224 |
| Hong Kong | 16481 |
| India | 11283 |
| Japan | 11275 |
| China | 9810 |
| Libya | 8936 |
| Egypt | 2311 |
| Denmark | 1077 |
| Norway | 1039 |
| Sri Lanka | 935 |
| Algeria | 890 |
| Italy | 764 |
| Finland | 625 |
| South Africa | 528 |
| Chile | 325 |
| North Korea | 202 |
| Malta | 200 |
| Cambodia | 193 |
| Hungary | 184 |
| Luxembourg | 128 |
| Maldives | 116 |
| Solomon Islands | 103 |
| Papua New Guinea | 78 |
| Iceland | 73 |
| Greece | 65 |
| Timor-Leste | 62 |
| Mauritius | 61 |
| Portugal | 61 |
| Panama | 50 |
| Bermuda | 49 |
| Cyprus | 47 |
| Venezuela | 30 |
| Bulgaria | 28 |
| Slovakia | 25 |
| Cayman Islands | 21 |
| Dominican Republic | 18 |
| Estonia | 17 |
| Slovenia | 15 |
| Lithuania | 12 |
| Bolivia | 9 |
| Saint Lucia | 8 |
| Latvia | 7 |
| Costa Rica | 5 |
| Guinea | 0 |
| Liechtenstein | 0 |
By destination region
Asia is the leading destination region at 87%
2.1M
204.6K
71.3K
25K
12.7K
466
47
Interesting facts
Notable statistics about emigration from Malaysia.
Singapore is the primary destination for emigrants
Singapore attracts 64% of all emigrants from Malaysia, while the second-largest destination receives just 11%.
Emigration has become more concentrated over time
The top destination's share rose from 53% to 64%, with Singapore increasingly the primary choice.
Emigration has accelerated notably since 2020
The emigrant population grew 15% from 2.1M to 2.4M, indicating an acceleration in emigration flows following COVID and recent geopolitical shifts.
A significant share of the population lives abroad
1 in 15 residents of Malaysia has emigrated — 2.4M out of 35.6M, representing 6.8% of the population.
How emigration changed over time
Total emigrant population by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 663690 |
| 1995 | 891900 |
| 2000 | 1165408 |
| 2005 | 1283218 |
| 2010 | 1647051 |
| 2015 | 1916776 |
| 2020 | 2118942 |
| 2024 | 2433875 |
Top destinations over time
Emigration to the 5 largest destination countries
| Year | Singapore | Bangladesh | Australia | Indonesia | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 349149 | 92533 | 70262 | 936 | 43404 |
| 1995 | 515743 | 126263 | 80482 | 119 | 46293 |
| 2000 | 733158 | 159993 | 84788 | 13 | 49330 |
| 2005 | 785955 | 190436 | 101481 | 10 | 57519 |
| 2010 | 1085108 | 204878 | 129840 | 14 | 68428 |
| 2015 | 1318217 | 203561 | 144205 | 1892 | 68963 |
| 2020 | 1384577 | 199618 | 177343 | 94489 | 67838 |
| 2024 | 1553249 | 274253 | 181202 | 161013 | 66932 |
Fastest-changing destinations
How emigration to each country has changed since the selected year
Malaysia as an emigration source
Share of immigrants in each country who originate from Malaysia