People

Population: 20 932 901 (July 1998 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 36% (male 3 832 040; female 3 635 136)

15-64 years: 60% (male 6 314 693; female 6 324 389)

65 years and over: 4% (male 359 006; female 467 637) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.11% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 26.5 births/1 000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 5.36 deaths/1 000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1 000 population (1998 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 22.45 deaths/1 000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 70.36 years

male: 67.35 years

female: 73.56 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.37 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Malaysian(s)

adjective: Malaysian

Ethnic groups: Malay and other indigenous 58% Chinese 26% Indian 7% others 9%

Religions: Peninsular Malaysia—Muslim (Malays) Buddhist (Chinese) Hindu (Indians); Sabah—Muslim 38% Christian 17% other 45%; Sarawak—tribal religion 35% Buddhist and Confucianist 24% Muslim 20% Christian 16% other 5%

Languages: Peninsular Malaysia—Malay (official) English Chinese dialects Tamil; Sabah—English Malay numerous tribal dialects Chinese (Mandarin and Hakka dialects predominate); Sarawak—English Malay Mandarin numerous tribal languages

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 83.5%

male: 89.1%

female: 78.1% (1995 est.)