List of cities and towns in Malaysia by population

This article details the list of the most populous settlements in Malaysia. Malaysia designates all populated regions into three categories: a district, municipality, or city. While district boundaries are limited to individual state-drawn district boundaries, some municipalities and cities are made up of several smaller component districts whose elevated status forms a local government. Thus, this list does not include component districts and only includes overall administrative localities defined by their respective local governments.

Within defined boundaries
See also: List of local governments in Malaysia and List of cities in Malaysia

This table lists all cities, municipalities and districts in Malaysia whose population exceeds 150,000 people, according to statistics published in the 2020 Malaysian census by the Malaysian Department of Statistics (DOSM). There are 64 populated regions in Malaysia whose population exceeds 150,000 people. All 13 states and the Federal Territories have at least one city, municipality or district whose population exceeded 150,000 people.

This table displays:

  1. The settlement rank by population as of 2020, as estimated by the DOSM;
  2. The settlement name;
  3. The state in which the settlement is located;
  4. The settlement's population as of 2020, as estimated in the 2020 census conducted by the DOSM;
  5. The settlement's population as of 2010, as estimated in the 2010 census conducted by the DOSM;
  6. The settlement's population difference between 2010 and 2020;
  7. The land area of the settlement's defined boundaries in square kilometres (km2);
  8. The population density of the settlement in people per square kilometres (/km2), as estimated in by the settlement's 2020 population figures.
Key (local governments)
Regions administered by City Councils (Majlis Bandaraya)
Regions administered by Municipal Councils (Majlis Perbandaran)
Regions administered by District Councils (Majlis Daerah)
† National capital
# State administrative capitals
* State royal capitals
List of the largest cities, municipalities, districts in Malaysia (in accordance to population figures of over 150,000 people)
№ City, municipality or district State Government census figures Land

area

 Density

(2020)

 Ref.
2020 2010 Diff.
1 Kuala Lumpur†  Federal Territories 1,982,112 1,588,750 +24.76% 243 km2 8,156/km2 [1]
2 Kajang  Selangor 1,047,356 795,522 +31.66% 790 km2 1,326/km2 [2]
3 Seberang Perai  Penang 946,092 818,097 +15.65% 751 km2 1,260/km2 [3]
4 Subang Jaya  Selangor 902,086 613,977 +46.93% 97 km2 9,300/km2 [2]
5 Klang*[note 1]  Selangor 902,025 744,062 +21.23% 573 km2 1,574/km2 [2]
6 Johor Bahru#  Johor 858,118 497,067 +72.64% 220 km2 3,900/km2 [5]
7 Shah Alam#  Selangor 812,327 541,306 +50.07% 290 km2 2,801/km2 [2]
8 George Town#  Penang 794,313 708,127 +12.17% 306 km2 2,596/km2 [3]
9 Petaling Jaya  Selangor 771,687 708,296 +8.95% 70 km2 10,960/km2 [2]
10 Selayang  Selangor 764,327 542,409 +40.91% 549 km2 1,392/km2 [2]
11 Ipoh#  Perak 759,952 657,892 +15.51% 643 km2 1,182/km2 [6]
12 Seremban#[note 2]  Negeri Sembilan 681,541 515,490 +32.21% 959 km2 711/km2 [8]
13 Iskandar Puteri[note 3]  Johor 575,977 529,074 +8.87% 367 km2 1,569/km2 [5]
14 Kuantan#  Pahang 548,014 427,515 +28.19% 324 km2 1,691/km2 [10]
15 Sungai Petani  Kedah 545,053 443,488 +22.90% 928 km2 587/km2 [11]
16 Ampang Jaya  Selangor 531,904 468,961 +13.42% 144 km2 3,964/km2 [2]
17 Kota Kinabalu#  Sabah 500,425 452,058 +10.70% 351 km2 1,426/km2 [12]
18 Malacca City#[note 4]  Malacca 453,904 – – 277 km2 1,639/km2 [14]
19 Sandakan  Sabah 439,050 396,290 +10.79% 2,266 km2 194/km2 [12]
20 Alor Setar#  Kedah 423,868 405,523 +4.52% 609 km2 696/km2 [11]
21 Tawau  Sabah 420,806 397,673 +5.82% 6,125 km2 69/km2 [12]
22 Batu Pahat  Johor 401,210 209,461 +91.54% 1,873 km2 214/km2 [5]
23 Kota Bharu  Kelantan 396,193 314,964 +25.79% 195 km2 2,032/km2 [15]
24 Kuala Terengganu#  Terengganu 375,424 337,533 +11.23% 605 km2 621/km2 [16]
25 Kuching#  Sarawak 349,147 325,132 +7.39% 450 km2 776/km2 [17]
26 Sepang  Selangor 324,585 207,354 +56.54% 198 km2 1,639/km2 [2]
27 Kulim  Kedah 319,056 281,260 +13.44% 765 km2 417/km2 [11]
28 Muar*  Johor 314,776 201,148 +56.49% 1,376 km2 229/km2 [5]
29 Pasir Gudang  Johor 312,437 46,571 +570.88% 360 km2 868/km2 [5]
30 Kuala Langat  Selangor 307,418 220,214 +39.60% 858 km2 358/km2 [2]
31 Kulai  Johor 294,156 234,532 +25.42% 754 km2 390/km2 [5]
32 Kangar#  Perlis 284,853 225,590 +26.27% 819 km2 348/km2 [18]
33 Kuala Selangor  Selangor 281,717 205,257 +37.25% 1,195 km2 236/km2 [2]
34 Padawan  Sarawak 260,058 273,485 −4.91% 1,771 km2 147/km2 [17]
35 Miri  Sarawak 248,877 234,541 +6.11% 997 km2 250/km2 [17]
36 Manjung  Perak 246,978 211,113 +16.99% 1,114 km2 222/km2 [6]
37 Hulu Selangor  Selangor 241,932 194,387 +24.46% 1,756 km2 138/km2 [2]
38 Taiping  Perak 241,517 245,182 −1.49% 186 km2 1,295/km2 [6]
39 Bintulu  Sarawak 240,172 212,994 +12.76% 7,220 km2 33/km2 [17]
40 Kubang Pasu  Kedah 237,759 214,479 +10.85% 946 km2 251/km2 [11]
41 Kluang  Johor 235,715 167,833 +40.45% 2,851 km2 83/km2 [5]
42 Pasir Mas  Kelantan 230,424 180,878 +27.39% 570 km2 404/km2 [15]
43 Lahad Datu  Sabah 229,138 199,830 +14.67% 6,501 km2 35/km2 [12]
44 Alor Gajah  Malacca 219,210 173,712 +26.19% 660 km2 332/km2 [14]
45 Kemaman  Terengganu 215,582 166,750 +29.28% 518 km2 416/km2 [16]
46 Hang Tuah Jaya  Malacca 188,857 – – 145 km2 1,302/km2 [14]
47 Tumpat  Kelantan 179,944 143,793 +25.14% 180 km2 1,000/km2 [15]
48 Pontian  Johor 173,319 93,651 +85.07% 907 km2 191/km2 [5]
49 Teluk Intan  Perak 172,505 128,143 +34.62% 127 km2 1,359/km2 [6]
50 Sibu  Sarawak 170,404 162,676 +4.75% 130 km2 1,316/km2 [17]
51 Temerloh  Pahang 169,023 158,724 +6.49% 2,251 km2 75/km2 [10]
52 Semporna  Sabah 166,587 133,164 +25.10% 1,145 km2 145/km2 [12]
53 Kerian  Perak 166,352 120,192 +38.41% 921 km2 181/km2 [6]
54 Tangkak  Johor 163,449 131,890 +23.93% 970 km2 169/km2 [5]
55 Penampang  Sabah 162,174 176,667 −8.20% 466 km2 348/km2 [12]
56 Kota Samarahan  Sarawak 161,890 116,685 +38.74% 407 km2 398/km2 [17]
57 Ketereh  Kelantan 159,560 153,474 +3.97% 156 km2 1,023/km2 [15]
58 Dungun  Terengganu 158,128 149,851 +5.52% 2,735 km2 58/km2 [16]
59 Bachok  Kelantan 157,291 77,447 +103.10% 279 km2 564/km2 [15]
60 Besut  Terengganu 154,168 136,563 +12.89% 1,234 km2 125/km2 [16]
61 Segamat  Johor 152,458 103,035 +47.97% 2,851 km2 53/km2 [5]
62 Keningau  Sabah 150,927 173,103 −12.81% 3,533 km2 43/km2 [12]
63 Tanah Merah  Kelantan 150,766 115,949 +30.03% 880 km2 171/km2 [15]
64 Papar  Sabah 150,667 124,420 +21.10% 1,243 km2 121/km2 [12]

Distribution
The population of Peninsular Malaysia by local government area, 2020.

There are 64 settlements in Malaysia with a population of over 150,000 people. All 13 states and the Federal Territories have at least one settlement in the list. West Malaysia has more settlements that fit this criteria than East Malaysia, with 50 settlements against the East's 14. The states with the least amount of settlements in this list are Negeri Sembilan, the Federal Territories and Perlis, with one locality each respectively, while the state with the highest amount of settlements with a population above 150,000 is Selangor, with 11 settlements in the list.

Population States Regions Total
SR JH SH SK KT PR KD TG ML PN PG FT N9 PS WM EM
1,000,000+ 1 – – – – – – – – – – 1 – – 2 – 2
750,000–999,999 5 1 – – – 1 – – – 2 – – – – 9 – 9
500,000–749,999 1 1 1 – – – 1 – – – 1 – 1 – 5 1 6
250,000–499,999 3 4 2 2 1 – 2 1 1 – – – – 1 13 4 17
150,000–249,999 1 4 5 4 5 4 1 3 2 – 1 – – – 21 9 30
Total 11 10 8 6 6 5 4 4 3 2 2 1 1 1 50 14 64

Largest metropolitan areas by population

The DOSM does not provide any definitions related to metropolitan areas in Malaysia, nor have any statistical calculations that concern build-up areas surrounding an urban centre. However, several major urban regions, such as Klang Valley, Greater Penang and Iskandar Malaysia, have been well-described as metropolitan areas since the early-2010s by local media and government authorities. Despite this, there remains some ambiguity in defining the actual boundaries of other smaller counterparts.

There are 12 metropolitan areas in Malaysia. Perlis and Kelantan are the only states without one. Kedah is the only state with two metro areas (Greater Penang and Alor Setar), while Greater Penang is the only metro to span three different states (Penang, Kedah and Perak). Greater Penang is also the only metropolitan area where its core city is not its most populated settlement (George Town has a population of 794,313, while Seberang Perai has a population of 946,092).

This table displays:

  1. The metropolitan area rank by population as of 2020, as estimated with individual local authority population figures by the DOSM;
  2. The name of the metropolitan area;
  3. The core city of the metropolitan area;
  4. The metropolitan area's population as of 2020, as estimated in the 2020 census conducted by the DOSM;
  5. The metropolitan area's population as of 2010, as estimated in the 2010 census conducted by the DOSM;
  6. The metropolitan area's population difference between 2010 and 2020;
  7. The land area of the metropolitan area's defined boundaries in square kilometres (km2);
  8. The population density of the metropolitan area in people per square kilometres (/km2);
List of the largest metropolitan areas in Malaysia by population
№ Metropolitan area Core city Councils DOSM census figures Land

area

 Density

(2020)

 Ref.
C M D 2020 2010 Diff.
1 Klang Valley[note 5] Kuala Lumpur 5 6 0 9,085,737 7,119,252 +27.62% 2,967 km2 3,062/km2 [19]
2 George Town Conurbation[note 6] George Town 2 2 2 2,815,278 2,412,811 +16.68% 3,961 km2 711/km2 [20]
3 Iskandar Malaysia[note 7] Johor Bahru 3 2 2 2,265,219 1,307,274 +73.28% 4,749 km2 477/km2 [21]
4 Metropolitan Kinta[note 8] Ipoh 1 0 2 984,586 828,174 +18.89% 1,988 km2 495/km2 [22]
5 Greater Kota Kinabalu Kota Kinabalu 1 0 2 949,931 855,556 +11.03% 3,277 km2 290/km2 [23]
6 Greater Kuching Kuching 2 2 0 934,515 857,110 +9.03% 2,031 km2 460/km2 [24]
7 Greater Kuantan Kuantan 1 1 1 884,754 697,788 +26.79% 5,211 km2 170/km2 [25]
8 Seremban metropolitan Seremban 1 1 0 795,279 613,324 +29.67% 1,534 km2 518/km2 [26]
9 Malacca City metropolitan Malacca City 1 1 0 642,761 484,885 +32.56% 308 km2 2,087/km2 [27]
10 Greater Miri Miri 1 1 1 546,338 502,135 +8.80% 9,069 km2 60/km2 [28]
11 Alor Setar metropolitan Alor Setar 1 0 0 423,868 405,523 +4.52% 609 km2 696/km2 [11]
12 Kuala Terengganu metropolitan Kuala Terengganu 1 0 0 375,424 337,533 +11.23% 605 km2 621/km2 [16]

See also

References

Notes
  1. Klang is expected to achieve city status on 23 November 2023.[4]
  2. The present municipal government administering the regions of Seremban had merged with the now-defunct Nilai municipal government (of the town of Nilai) in 2020.[7]
  3. Formerly known as Nusajaya until 2015.[9]
  4. Malacca City's administrative zone was separated into two when a breakaway municipality, Hang Tuah Jaya, was created in 2010.[13]
  5. Klang Valley is generally recognised to encompass five cities (Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Petaling Jaya, Shah Alam and Subang Jaya), and six municipalities (Kajang, Klang, Selayang, Ampang Jaya, Sepang and Kuala Langat).
  6. The George Town Conurbation, also referred to as the Greater Penang comprises two cities (George Town and Seberang Perai), two municipalities (Sungai Petani and Kulim) and two districts (Bandar Baharu and Kerian).
  7. Iskandar Malaysia comprises three cities, two municipalities and two districts. It underwent an expansion in February 2019 which doubled its area. Its original area was at 2,217 km2.
  8. Also referred to as Kinta Valley.

Citations
  1. DOSM 2022, p. 75.
  2. DOSM 2022l, p. 97.
  3. DOSM 2022i, p. 96.
  4. Zainal 2023.
  5. DOSM 2022a, p. 95.
  6. DOSM 2022g, p. 97.
  7. New Straits Times 2020.
  8. DOSM 2022d, p. 95.
  9. Musa 2015.
  10. DOSM 2022e, p. 94.
  11. DOSM 2022b, p. 97.
  12. DOSM 2022j, pp. 101–102.
  13. Carvalho 2010.
  14. DOSM 2022d, p. 93.
  15. DOSM 2022c, p. 100.
  16. DOSM 2022m, p. 94.
  17. DOSM 2022k, p. 123.
  18. DOSM 2022h, p. 91.
  19. Malaysian Digest 2011.
  20. Samat et al. 2020, p. 373.
  21. New Straits Times 2019.
  22. Fleming 2021, p. 8.
  23. World Bank 2015, p. 81.
  24. Adenan 2017.
  25. NST–via ECERDC 2013.
  26. Singh 2023.
  27. Malacca City Council 2015.
  28. Kiew 2023.

Academic journals and publications
  • Fleming, Tom (2021). "Ipoh and Metropolitan Kinta in Numbers". Ipoh, Perak (PDF). British Council. pp. 1–37.
  • Samat, Narimah; Tan, Mou Leong; Tilaki, Mohammad J. M.; Tew, Yi Lin (2020). "Modelling Land Cover Changes in Peri-Urban Areas: A Case Study of George Town Conurbation, Malaysia". Land. 9 (10) – via ResearchGate.
  • "Achieving a System of Competitive Cities in Malaysia [Main Report]" (PDF). World Bank Reimbursable Advisory Service Social, Urban, Rural, and Resilience Global Practice. 2015 – via World Bank.

Articles from magazines, newspapers and websites

Government journals and statistical reports
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