Demographics and Currency Information on Ipoh

Demographics and currency details are undoubtedly some of the more important Ipoh practical information. You will learn interesting facts, which will hopefully help you in getting around the city.

Demographics

Ipoh became one of the major Malaysian cities in the 19th century, mainly due to the fact that it had a strongly developed tin mining industry. Today, it is the 4th largest city in Malaysia with a population of 700,000 people and an urban population of over 1 million people. The local residents have colorful ethnic belongings. 70 percent of them belong to the Chinese ethnic group, 17 percent are Malays, 12.5 percent are Indians and the rest 0.5 percent are distributed among numerous minor ethnic groups. Among the many different languages spoken in Ipoh are the Malay, Chinese, Hindu and Malaysian Standard English, which is very close to the British English, although spoken with a big accent.

Currency

The official currency used in Ipoh is the Malaysian ringgit. A dollar is worth a little more than 3 Malaysian rinngits. Money can be changed in various exchange offices throughout the city. Common currencies exchanged here are US dollars, Euro, Australian dollars and Singapore dollars. If you have more free time, you can browse around the various offices to get the best exchange rates. Keep in mind that there are certain currency import restrictions. You are allowed to carry no more than 1,000 Malaysian ringgits, and no more than $10,000, when entering the country.