Languages spoken in Malaysia
Asia · Capital: Kuala Lumpur · Population 34.6 million
In Malaysia, two languages have official status: Malay and English. Malay is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 75% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 25.9 million people. After Malay, the most widely spoken are English at 21% and Chinese at 17%. Malay belongs to the Austronesian language family. Malay is also spoken in two of its three neighbours: Brunei and Indonesia. In total, five languages are recorded in Malaysia, and their shares add up to 118.4% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.2 of them.
What languages are spoken in Malaysia?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| MalayAustronesian | 75% | Official | 25.9 million |
| EnglishIndo-European | 21% | Official | 7.3 million |
| ChineseSino-Tibetan | 17% | Spoken | 5.9 million |
| TamilDravidian | 4.2% | Spoken | 1.5 million |
| JavaneseAustronesian | 1.2% | Spoken | 414,778 |
Percentages are the share of the population that speaks each language, including as a second language, so they add up to well over 100% in multilingual countries. Speaker counts are estimates derived from the percentage and the country's population, not counted figures.
What is the official language of Malaysia?
In Malaysia, two languages have official status: Malay and English. Malay is spoken by an estimated 75% of the population, or roughly 25.9 million people, counting both first-language and additional speakers.
Official status comes from Unicode CLDR. It distinguishes languages that are official nationwide, those used as de facto official without being named in law, and those official only in particular regions or territories.
How many people speak Malay in Malaysia?
An estimated 75% of Malaysia's 34.6 million people speak Malay, which works out at roughly 25.9 million speakers. That figure is derived from the population and the reported share, and it counts second-language speakers, so it is an estimate rather than a census count.
Key facts about Malaysia
- Capital
- Kuala Lumpur
- Population
- 34.6 million
- Continent
- Asia
- Area
- 330,803 km²
- Currency
- MYR
- Languages recorded
- 5
- Land borders
- 3
- ISO codes
- MY / MYS / 458
Which countries border Malaysia?
Malaysia shares a land border with three countries: Brunei, Indonesia, and Thailand. Malay, the most widely spoken language in Malaysia, is also spoken in Brunei and Indonesia.
Explore more
Language shares, population, and official status: Unicode CLDR. Capital, area, borders, and currency: mledoze/countries (ODbL 1.0). Flag image: flagcdn.com. Speaker counts are estimates derived from population and reported share.