Sabah Demographics 2026 — Age Structure, Households & Urbanisation
Sabah had about 3.77 million people in 2026 (OpenDOSM population by state, checked 7 October 2026). Its population is younger than Malaysia's: 22.9% are under 15 and 6.5% are 65 or older, against 21.2% and 8.4% nationally. Households are large, averaging 4.7 people at the 2020 census, and 54.7% of people live in urban areas, against 75.1% nationally.
The share of children fell from 26.5% to 22.9% in six years, while the 25–54 and 65+ groups grew.
Source: DOSM, population_state (OpenDOSM), our calculation from five-year age groups
How young is Sabah?
Younger than Malaysia as a whole, but ageing quickly. At the 2020 census 26.5% of Sabah's residents were under 15 and 5.6% were 65 or older; for Malaysia the figures were 24.0% and 6.8% (DOSM). By DOSM's 2026 estimates, Sabah's under-15 share had fallen to 22.9% and its 65+ share had risen to 6.5% (DOSM Current Population Estimates 2026, checked 7 October 2026). DOSM counts a state as ageing once more than 7% of its population is 65 or older.
The long-run change is large. In 1970, 47.2% of Sabah's people were under 15 and only 2.1% were 65 or older. The dependency ratio, the number of children and older people for every 100 people of working age, fell from 96.9 in 1970 to 47.4 in 2020 (DOSM Census 2020, Table 2).
Children made up almost half of Sabah's population in 1970 and about a quarter in 2020. The urban share rose from 16.5% to 54.7%, but only 1.5 points between 2010 and 2020.
Source: DOSM, Key Findings of the Population and Housing Census 2020, Sabah, Table 2
How big are Sabah households?
Sabah had 728,201 households at the 2020 census, with an average of 4.7 people each, the second-highest in Malaysia after Kelantan (4.8); the national average was 3.8. Household size has fallen from 5.5 in 2010. It varies widely by district, from 5.8 in Kunak and 5.7 in Semporna to 3.7 in Penampang and Telupid (DOSM).
East-coast districts such as Kunak, Semporna and Sandakan have the largest households; Penampang, next to Kota Kinabalu, has one of the smallest.
Source: DOSM, Key Findings of the Population and Housing Census 2020, Sabah, Table 8
How urban is Sabah?
At the 2020 census 54.7% of Sabah's population (1.87 million people) lived in urban areas, against 75.1% for Malaysia. The urban share has risen from 16.5% in 1970 and 33.2% in 1991, but growth has slowed: it was 53.2% in 2010 (DOSM). Kota Kinabalu is the largest district, with 500,421 residents in 2020, followed by Sandakan (439,050) and Tawau (372,615). See Sabah population for district figures.
Are there more men than women?
Yes. Sabah had 109 males per 100 females at the 2020 census (1,779,806 men and 1,638,979 women) and the same ratio in DOSM's 2026 estimate, close to Malaysia's 110. Across Malaysia the imbalance comes mostly from non-citizens: 227 males per 100 females among non-citizens against 102 among citizens in 2026 (DOSM Current Population Estimates 2026, checked 7 October 2026). Non-citizens were 23.7% of Sabah's residents in 2020. By district, Kinabatangan had the highest ratio in 2020 (125) and Kuala Penyu the lowest (100).
Births and deaths
Sabah recorded 49,210 live births and 14,629 deaths in 2020, a crude birth rate of 12.7 per 1,000 people and a crude death rate of 3.8. Birth rates were highest in Kota Marudu (21.0 per 1,000) and Pitas (20.4) (DOSM Census 2020, Table 13). DOSM projects Sabah's population to reach 4.89 million by 2060, the third-largest of any state.
Frequently asked questions
Q How old is Sabah’s population?
Q What is the dependency ratio in Sabah?
Q Are there more men than women in Sabah?
Q What is the average household size in Sabah?
Q How urban is Sabah?
Sources & References 5 sources
Last verified: 28 September 2026
Government — DOSM
- DOSM: Key Findings, Population and Housing Census of Malaysia 2020 — Sabah (state edition) Table 2: census-year statistics 1970–2020 (households, age structure, dependency ratio, sex ratio, urban share); Table 8: household size by district; Table 13: births and deaths by district.
- DOSM: Key Findings, Census 2020 — Administrative District Household size: Malaysia 3.8, Kelantan 4.8, Sabah 4.7; national age structure 24.0% / 69.3% / 6.8%.
- OpenDOSM: Population by state (population_state) Sabah population by five-year age group, 2020 and 2026.
- DOSM: Current Population Estimates, Malaysia, 2026 (30 July 2026) Sabah about 3.8 million in 2026 (exact 3,767,000 from the OpenDOSM population_state table); age structure Sabah 22.9% under 15 and 6.5% aged 65+, Malaysia 21.2% and 8.4%; sex ratio Sabah 109, Malaysia 110; citizens 102, non-citizens 227. Checked 7 October 2026.
- DOSM: Current Population Estimates, Malaysia, 2025 (31 July 2025) Sex ratio by state (Sabah 109, Malaysia 110); national age structure 21.6% / 70.4% / 8.0%; citizens 102, non-citizens 228; Sabah density 51 per km²; Sabah projected at 4.89 million in 2060.