Diverse ethnicities and multi-religious society
Malaysian society is categorized into three main ethnic categories: Bumiputera, which includes the ethnic Malays as well as the indigenous peoples of Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, and Sarawak; Chinese, and Indian. Those who do not fall under these three categories are grouped under ‘Others’. The ethnic composition of Sabah and Sarawak in East Malaysia differs slightly from Peninsular Malaysia, due to the eastern states’ larger share of Bumiputera compared to the national average.The dominant religion in Malaysia is Islam; as of the 2020 census, around 63.5 percent of the Malaysian population identified as Muslim. This was followed by Buddhism with nearly 19 percent of the population, and Christianity at nine percent. In Malaysia’s constitution, the Islamic faith is tied to one’s ethnic identity; a person is only considered ethnic Malay if they are also Muslim.
Among the three major ethnic groups in Malaysia, the Bumiputera have the highest fertility rates, at nearly 2,000 births per 1,000 women, compared to 787 per 1,000 women for the Chinese population. While the Bumiputera population in Malaysia still enjoys a healthy rate of increase, the Chinese population has been decreasing over the years.