PEOPLE
Malaysia's multi-racial society contains many ethnic groups. Malays comprise a majority of just over 50%. By constitutional definition, all Malays are Muslim. About a quarter of the population is ethnic Chinese, a group which historically played an important role in trade and business. Malaysians of Indian descent comprise about 7% of the population and include Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, and Christians. Non-Malay indigenous groups combine to make up approximately 11% of the population.
Population density is highest in peninsular Malaysia, home to some 20 million of the country's 27 million inhabitants. The remaining 7 million live on the Malaysian portion of the island of Borneo in the large but less densely-populated states of Sabah and Sarawak. More than half of Sarawak's residents and about two-thirds of Sabah's are from indigenous groups.
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Malaysian(s).
Population (2006): 26.9 million.
Annual growth rate: 1.8%.
Ethnic groups: Malay 50.2%, Chinese 24.5%, Indigenous 11.0%, Indian 7.2%, non-Malaysian citizens 5.9 %, others 1.2%.
Religions: Islam (60.4%), Buddhism (19.2%), Christianity (9.1%), Hinduism (6.3%), Confucianism (2.6%), tribal/folk (0.8%), other (0.4%), none/unknown (1.2%).
Languages: Bahasa Melayu (official), Chinese (various dialects), English, Tamil, indigenous.
Education: Years compulsory--6. Attendance--98.5% (primary), 82% (secondary). Literacy--93.5%.
Health: Infant mortality rate (2005)--5.1 /1,000. Life expectancy (2005)--female 76.2 yrs., male 71.8 yrs.
Work force (10.55 million, 2005): Services: 51%; Industry 36% (Manufacturing 28.4%, Mining and Construction 7.6%); Agriculture 13%.
