Demographics of Sabah

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1970 653,604—    
1980 955,712+46.2%
1991 1,734,685+81.5%
2000 2,468,246+42.3%
2010 3,117,405+26.3%
2020 3,418,785+9.7%
Note: Include Labuan in 1970.
Source: Malaysian Population Statistics[1]

Sabah is the third most populous state in Malaysia, with a population of 3,418,785 according to the 2020 Malaysian census. It also has the highest non-citizen population, at 810,443.[2] Although Malaysia is one of the least densely populated countries in Asia, Sabah is particularly sparsely populated. Most of the population is concentrated along coastal areas, with towns and urban centres seeing the most population growth.

The population of Sabah in 1970 was 653,604,[3] with both the state and its neighbour Sarawak having about the same number of foreign nationals.[4] In 1980, the state experienced a sharp rise in population with the arrival of almost a million refugees fleeing the Moro conflict in the neighbouring southern Philippines.[3][5] Around the same time, large numbers of legal workers from both Indonesia and the Philippines also arrived in Sabah, drawn by the economic boom in its primary sector.[6][7] Malayising policies enacted under Mustapha Harun further lowered Sabah's Christian Kadazan-Dusun demographic dominance other than these factors. In 1992, Sabah's population increased to over 1,734,685,[3] then to 2,468,246 in 2000.[8] By 2010, this grew to 3,117,405.[9][10] Sabah has 900,000 registered migrant workers in agriculture, plantations, construction, services, and domestic work.[11] While the total number of illegal immigrants (including refugees) is predicted to be more than one million,[note 1] most of these people are believed to have been categorised as "other bumiputera" in national statistics.[14][15] Sabah has also seen an increase in the number of expatriates, mostly from China, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Australia, and Europe.[16] In the near term, the population is expected to grow from increasing interracial marriages and migration.

Ethnic groups of Sabah in their respective traditional dress

People from Sabah are called Sabahans and generally identify themselves as such.[17] Sabah is home to an estimated 42 ethnic groups, and over 200 distinct sub-ethnic groups each with their own language, culture, and spiritual beliefs.[18] The coastal and lowland areas are inhabited mostly by the Bajau, Bruneian Malay, Bugis, Illanun, Kedayan, and Suluk/Tausūg. These groups traditionally worked as fishermen and farmers.[19] The highland areas in the interior are inhabited mostly by the Kadazan-Dusun, Murut, and Lun Bawang (or Lun Dayeh) and their sub-groups. These groups traditionally worked as farmers and hunters.[20] The term bumiputera (lit. 'son of the soil') is used in Malaysia to refer to those of Malay and indigenous descent. This demographic generally enjoys special privileges in education, employment, finance, and politics.[21] Within the bumiputera demographic, the term Orang Asal refers to just those of indigenous descent, excluding the Malays.[22]

The three largest indigenous groups in Sabah are the Kadazan-Dusun, Bajau, and Murut. These are followed by the Bruneian Malays, Suluk, and others.[23] Citizens of Chinese descent make up the majority of the non-Bumiputera population.[24]

  1. ^ "Workbook: 1202". Tableau.dosm.gov.my. 4 April 2021. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  2. ^ "ownCloud::DOSM". Cloud.stats.gov.my. Archived from the original on 18 April 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  3. ^ a b c Jeffrey R. Vincent; Rozali Mohamed Ali (2005). Managing Natural Wealth: Environment and Development in Malaysia. Resources for the Future. pp. 6–. ISBN 978-1-933115-20-7.
  4. ^ Anthony Milner; Abdul Rahman Embong; Tham Siew Yean (28 February 2014). Transforming Malaysia: Dominant and Competing Paradigms. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. pp. 147–. ISBN 978-981-4517-91-1.
  5. ^ Azizah Kassim (2009). "Filipino Refugees in Sabah: State Responses, Public Stereotypes and the Dilemma Over Their Future" (PDF). Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University. CiNii. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  6. ^ Helen E. S. Nesadurai (2013). "Malaysia's Conflict with the Philippines and Indonesia over Labour Migration: Economic Security, Interdependence and Conflict Trajectories". The Pacific Review. 26. Academia.edu: 89–113. doi:10.1080/09512748.2013.755360. S2CID 154260572. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  7. ^ OECD (1 February 2002). International Migration in Asia Trends and Policies: Trends and Policies. OECD Publishing. pp. 129–. ISBN 978-92-64-18867-9.
  8. ^ Saw Swee-Hock; K. Kesavapany (2006). Malaysia: Recent Trends and Challenges. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. pp. 4–. ISBN 978-981-230-336-3.
  9. ^ "Total population by ethnic group, administrative district and state, Malaysia" (PDF). Department of Statistics, Malaysia. 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  10. ^ "'Unnatural' population growth in Sabah over the years". Daily Express. 6 December 2014. Archived from the original on 1 June 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  11. ^ "Hike on foreign workers' levy irrational: FSI". New Sabah Times. 4 February 2016. Archived from the original on 2 June 2016. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  12. ^ Kamal Sadiq (2 December 2008). Paper Citizens: How Illegal Immigrants Acquire Citizenship in Developing Countries. Oxford University Press. pp. 49–178. ISBN 978-0-19-970780-5.
  13. ^ Franklin Ng (1998). The History and Immigration of Asian Americans. Taylor & Francis. pp. 177–. ISBN 978-0-8153-2690-8.
  14. ^ "Population by States and Ethnic Group". Department of Information, Ministry of Communications and Multimedia, Malaysia. 2015. Archived from the original on 12 February 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  15. ^ "Abnormal hike in 'Bumi Lain' category". Daily Express. 16 January 2015. Archived from the original on 2 June 2016. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  16. ^ Ian Urbina (12 February 2015). "Living Like a Local in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  17. ^ Philip Golingai (10 May 2015). "Sabahan first, then a Malaysian". The Star. Archived from the original on 2 June 2016. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  18. ^ Julia Chan (13 February 2015). "Sabah lists 42 ethnic groups to replace 'lain-lain' race column". The Malay Mail. Archived from the original on 1 June 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  19. ^ Wendy Hutton (November 2000). Adventure Guides: East Malaysia. Tuttle Publishing. pp. 31–57. ISBN 978-962-593-180-7. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  20. ^ Anne Lasimbang; Nancy Ariaini (1 November 2012). "The Peoples of the Heart of Borneo – Keeping Borneo indigenous languages alive" (PDF). World Wide Fund for Nature. p. 14/38 (26). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 June 2016. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  21. ^ Richard Mason; Ariffin Omar (2003). "The 'Bumiputera Policy': Dynamics and Dilemmas" (PDF). Universiti Sains Malaysia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 June 2016. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  22. ^ "Indigenous peoples – (a) Land rights of Indigenous Peoples". Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM). Archived from the original on 2 October 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  23. ^ Patricia Regis; Anne Lasimbang; Rita Lasimbang; J. W. King. "Introduction to Integration of Indigenous Culture into Non-Formal Education Programmes in Sabah" (PDF). Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Development, Partners of Community Organisations (PACOS), Kadazandusun Language Foundation and Summer Institute of Linguistics, Malaysia Branch, Sabah. Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (Japan). Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 August 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  24. ^ "About Sabah". Sabah State Government. Archived from the original on 20 May 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2016.


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