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                : Malaysia
Population (2008)   : 27.5 million.
Annual growth rate : 2.0%.
Ethnic groups           : Malay, Chinese, Indian, Indigenous, Others.
Religions                    : Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, other/none.
Languages                 : Bahasa Melayu, Chinese, Tamil ,English, indigenous.
Education                  : Primary School, Secondary school, college and University

Work force                 : Services--57%; industry--28% (manufacturing--19%, mining and     construction--9%); agriculture--15%