Population: 16,726,766 (July 1989), growth rate 2.0% (1989)

Birth rate: 26 births/1,000 population (1989)

Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1989)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1989)

Infant mortality rate: 31 deaths/1,000 live births (1989)

Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 70 years female (1989)

Total fertility rate: 2.9 children born/woman (1989)

Nationality: noun--Malaysian(s); adjective--Malaysian

Ethnic divisions: 59% Malay and other indigenous, 32% Chinese, 9% Indian

Religion: Peninsular Malaysia--Malays nearly all Muslim, Chinese predominantly Buddhists, Indians predominantly Hindu; Sabah--38% Muslim, 17% Christian, 45% other; Sarawak--35% tribal religion, 24% Buddhist and Confucianist, 20% Muslim, 16% Christian, 5% other

Language: Peninsular Malaysia--Malay (official); English, Chinese dialects, Tamil; Sabah--English, Malay, numerous tribal dialects, Mandarin and Hakka dialects predominate among Chinese; Sarawak--English, Malay, Mandarin, numerous tribal languages

Literacy: 65.0% overall, age 20 and up; Peninsular Malaysia--80%; Sabah--60%; Sarawak--60%

Labor force: 6,090,000; 34.3% agriculture, 17.8% trade, hotels, and restaurants, 15% government, 14.6% manufacturing, 6.6% construction, 4.8% transport and communications, 4.1% utilities, 1.9% finance, 0.9% mining (1986)

Organized labor: 620,000, 10% of total labor force

NOTE: The information regarding Malaysia on this page is re-published from the 1989 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Malaysia People 1989 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Malaysia People 1989 should be addressed to the CIA.