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Religion in Sabah 2026 — Census Figures by District

Q: What is the main religion in Sabah?

Islam . At the 2020 census 2,379,216 people (69.6%) of Sabah’s residents were Muslim, against 63.5% for Malaysia as a whole (DOSM).

Q: How many Christians are there in Sabah?

843,734 (24.7%) at the 2020 census, against 9.1% nationally. The number grew from 831,451 in 2010, but the share fell from 28.0% in 2000 (DOSM, Census 2020 Sabah, Table 2).

Q: What percentage of Sabah is Buddhist?

5.1% (173,241 people) at the 2020 census, down from 9.7% in 1970. Nationally 18.7% of Malaysians were Buddhist. In Sabah the highest shares were in Penampang (14.4%), Sandakan (9.8%) and Kota Kinabalu (8.4%).

Q: How have religious shares changed?

Islam rose from 40.1% in 1970 to 69.6% in 2020 . Christianity was 24.2% in 1970, peaked at 28.0% in 2000 and was 24.7% in 2020. Buddhism fell from 9.7% to 5.1%, and the share recorded as other religions or no religion fell from 26.0% to 0.5% (DOSM, Table 2).

Last updated: 7 October 2026

Sabah mosques, churches, and Buddhist temples representing religious diversity

ℹ️ The quick answer

At the 2020 census 69.6% of Sabah's residents were Muslim, 24.7% Christian and 5.1% Buddhist. For Malaysia as a whole the figures were 63.5%, 9.1% and 18.7%. Seven interior and west-coast districts have Christian majorities; the east coast is overwhelmingly Muslim.

🕌

69.6%

Muslim

2,379,216 (2020)

⛪

24.7%

Christian

843,734 (2020)

🙏

5.1%

Buddhist

173,241 (2020)

🕉️

0.1%

Hindu

4,948 (2020)

📿

0.1%

Other religions

3,772 (2020)

❔

0.4%

No religion / unknown

13,874 (2020)

Religion in Sabah, 2020 census (% of residents)

Muslims were 69.6% of Sabah's residents in 2020, Christians 24.7% and Buddhists 5.1%. 'Other or none' combines Hindu, other religions and no religion or unknown.

Source: DOSM, Census 2020 Key Findings, Sabah, Table 2

How religiously diverse is Sabah?

More than most of Malaysia. Christians made up 24.7% of Sabah's residents at the 2020 census, against 9.1% nationally, and Muslims 69.6% against 63.5% nationally. Buddhists were a much smaller share in Sabah (5.1%) than nationally (18.7%) (DOSM).

How have religious shares changed since 1970?

The Muslim share has risen at every census, from 40.1% in 1970 to 69.6% in 2020. The Christian share rose from 24.2% to a peak of 28.0% in 2000 and has since fallen to 24.7%, although the number of Christians kept rising until 2020 (843,734). The biggest fall was in people recorded as following other religions or none: 26.0% in 1970 and 0.5% in 2020 (DOSM, Table 2).

Religion in Sabah, census years 1970–2020 (% of residents)

Islam's share rose at every census since 1970. Christianity peaked at 28.0% in 2000.

Source: DOSM, Census 2020 Key Findings, Sabah, Table 2

Religion by district

The census gives religion for all 27 districts. Seven had Christian majorities in 2020: Tambunan (79.8%), Nabawan (73.3%), Tenom (70.4%), Kota Marudu (58.3%), Ranau (53.7%), Keningau (52.7%) and Penampang (51.4%). Tongod and Telupid were close to evenly split. The east coast was overwhelmingly Muslim: Semporna 97.1%, Kunak 96.0%, Kalabakan 92.0%, Kinabatangan 91.7% and Lahad Datu 88.3%. Kota Kinabalu was 60.9% Muslim, 29.6% Christian and 8.4% Buddhist.

Muslim and Christian share of residents, selected districts, 2020 census (%)

Interior districts such as Tambunan, Nabawan and Tenom are mainly Christian; east-coast districts such as Semporna, Lahad Datu and Tawau are mainly Muslim.

Source: DOSM, Census 2020 Key Findings, Sabah, Table 7 (our calculation)

Religious public holidays

Good Friday is a public holiday only in Sabah and Sarawak; Christmas is a national holiday. See Sabah public holidays for the full calendar.

Frequently asked questions

Q What is the main religion in Sabah?

Islam. At the 2020 census 2,379,216 people (69.6%) of Sabah’s residents were Muslim, against 63.5% for Malaysia as a whole (DOSM).

Q How many Christians are there in Sabah?

843,734 (24.7%) at the 2020 census, against 9.1% nationally. The number grew from 831,451 in 2010, but the share fell from 28.0% in 2000 (DOSM, Census 2020 Sabah, Table 2).

Q Which districts have Christian majorities?

Seven of Sabah’s 27 districts had Christian majorities in 2020: Tambunan (79.8%), Nabawan (73.3%), Tenom (70.4%), Kota Marudu (58.3%), Ranau (53.7%), Keningau (52.7%) and Penampang (51.4%). The most Muslim districts were Semporna (97.1%), Kunak (96.0%) and Kalabakan (92.0%) (DOSM, Table 7, our calculation).

Q What percentage of Sabah is Buddhist?

5.1% (173,241 people) at the 2020 census, down from 9.7% in 1970. Nationally 18.7% of Malaysians were Buddhist. In Sabah the highest shares were in Penampang (14.4%), Sandakan (9.8%) and Kota Kinabalu (8.4%).

Q How have religious shares changed?

Islam rose from 40.1% in 1970 to 69.6% in 2020. Christianity was 24.2% in 1970, peaked at 28.0% in 2000 and was 24.7% in 2020. Buddhism fell from 9.7% to 5.1%, and the share recorded as other religions or no religion fell from 26.0% to 0.5% (DOSM, Table 2).

Q Is Good Friday a holiday in Sabah?

Yes. Good Friday is a public holiday in Sabah and Sarawak only; Christmas (25 December) is a national holiday across Malaysia. See Sabah public holidays.

Sources & References 2 sources

Last verified: 28 September 2026