Sabah Ethnic Groups 2026 — Census Counts by Group
At the 2020 census Sabah's largest groups were the Kadazan/Dusun (660,777, 19.3%) and the Bajau (565,499, 16.5%), followed by Chinese (248,920), Malay (236,934) and Murut (106,468). 810,443 residents (23.7%) were non-citizens, the highest share of any state. No group is a majority.
Kadazan/Dusun and Bajau together were 35.9% of Sabah's residents in 2020, and non-citizens 23.7%. 'Other citizens' includes Indians, Sarawak Bumiputera and others.
Source: DOSM, Census 2020 Key Findings, Sabah, Table 5
How diverse is Sabah?
Very. Of Sabah's 3,418,785 residents at the 2020 census, 2,608,342 were citizens. Of those citizens, 88.7% were Bumiputera: 2,051,580 Sabah Bumiputera, 236,934 Malays, 24,793 Sarawak Bumiputera and a few Orang Asli. Chinese citizens numbered 248,920 (9.5% of citizens), Indians 5,962 and others 39,989 (DOSM, Tables 2 and 5).
The mix has changed a great deal. In 1970 the Chinese made up 21.3% of citizens in Sabah; in 2020, 9.5%. Over the same period the Bumiputera share of citizens rose from 73.0% to 88.7% (DOSM, Table 2).
Sabah Bumiputera groups
The census counted 2,051,580 Sabah Bumiputera in 2020, 60.0% of residents. The Kadazan/Dusun (660,777) and Bajau (565,499) were by far the largest, followed by the Murut (106,468), Orang Sungai (100,934), Suluk (72,734), Brunei Malay (70,560) and Rungus (54,958). A further 335,347 people were recorded as other Sabah Bumiputera. The figures are based on how respondents described themselves.
Kadazan/Dusun and Bajau together numbered 1.23 million, 60% of all Sabah Bumiputera. *Includes Idahan, Lundayeh, Bulongan and Molbog (16,225 people in total).
Source: DOSM, Census 2020 Key Findings, Sabah, Table 5
Where do the groups live?
The state edition of the census does not break ethnic groups down by district, so we no longer show the estimated district chart that was here before. The national district report gives some detail: Nabawan had the highest share of Other Bumiputera of any district in Malaysia (99.0%), and 88.8% of its people were Murut; Tambunan was 98.4% Other Bumiputera (DOSM).
Non-citizens
The 2020 census counted 810,443 non-citizens in Sabah, 23.7% of residents and the highest share of any state; W.P. Labuan was next at 11.4%. The count was 867,190 at the 2010 census (27.8%). DOSM's estimate for 2026 is 1.03 million, 27.3% of residents (OpenDOSM population_state, checked 7 October 2026). The census aims to count everyone living in Sabah, but the number of undocumented migrants is not officially known, and statelessness is a long-standing concern raised by SUHAKAM.
Anak Negeri Sabah: income and land
The 13th Malaysia Plan reports that the mean household income of Anak Negeri Sabah rose from RM5,087 in 2019 to RM5,836 in 2024. As at June 2025, 68,765 hectares of Native Customary Rights (NCR) land had been surveyed for income-generating activities, involving 36,368 beneficiaries. For 2026–2030, under a strategy for Anak Negeri Sabah and Bumiputera Sarawak, it promises NCR land survey, gazettement and issuance of titles; commercial premises and access to financing for business; and a state-level integrated economic framework and action plan (13th Malaysia Plan, pp.3-17 and 3-19 to 3-20). See NCR land and the Anak Negeri Sabah strategy.
Frequently asked questions
Q What is the largest ethnic group in Sabah?
Q How many non-citizens live in Sabah?
Q How many Chinese live in Sabah?
Q How many Bajau live in Sabah?
Q How many Murut live in Sabah?
Q How many ethnic groups are there in Sabah?
Sources & References 4 sources
Last verified: 28 September 2026
Government — DOSM
- DOSM: Key Findings, Population and Housing Census of Malaysia 2020 — Sabah (state edition) Table 5: population by sub-ethnic group; Table 2: citizens by ethnic group 1970–2020.
- DOSM: Key Findings, Census 2020 — Administrative District Nabawan: 99.0% Other Bumiputera, 88.8% Murut; Kadazan/Dusun the largest Sabah Bumiputera group.
- OpenDOSM: Population by state (population_state) Non-citizen share by state, 2020; Sabah estimates 2025.