RELIGION LIBRARY

Malaysia

Map of Malaysia

The country has an area of 127,000 square miles and a population of 27.7 million. According to 2000 census figures, 60 percent of the population practices Islam; 19 percent Buddhism; 9 percent Christianity; 6 percent Hinduism; and 3 percent Confucianism, Taoism, and other traditional Chinese religions. Other minority religious groups include animists, Sikhs, and Baha'is. Ethnic Malay Muslims account for approximately 55 percent of the population. Three of the five most prominent political parties are organized along ethnic and religious lines. The majority of Christians reside in the eastern states of Sabah and Sarawak.

Population Population (2009 est.) 25,715,819
Religious Demographics Muslim 60.4%, Buddhist 19.2%, Christian 9.1%, Hindu 6.3%, Confucianist, Daoist, other traditional Chinese religions 2.6%, other or unknown 1.5%, none 0.8% (2000 census)
Ethnic Groups Ethnic Groups Malay 50.4%, Chinese 23.7%, indigenous 11%, Indian 7.1%, others 7.8% (2004 est.)
Languages Languages Bahasa Malaysia (official), English, Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Panjabi, Thai
Country Flag Flag of Malaysia