PUTRAJAYA, July 31 -- Malaysia's population is estimated to reach 34.4 million in 2026, up from 34.2 million last year, while 12 states have now been classified as ageing states, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).

In its latest statistics released today, DOSM said the population estimate for 2026 represented a growth rate of 0.5 per cent, with the increase based on the cohort-component method that takes into account births, deaths and migration.

The citizens' population rose from 30.8 million in 2025 to 31 million in 2026, recording a growth rate of 0.6 per cent, while the non-citizen population declined by 0.2 per cent.

At state level, Terengganu recorded the highest population growth rate at 1.2 per cent, foll...