Number of Non-Citizens in Sabah Declines by 0.32 Per Cent in 2025

8 January 2026

KOTA KINABALU: The number of non-citizen residents in Sabah declined to 1,040.2 thousand in 2025 from 1,043.6 thousand in 2024, representing a decrease of 0.32 per cent.

This was reported in the International Migration Statistics 2025 published by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) on 24 December 2025.

For the period from 1991 to 2025, Sabah recorded the highest number of non-citizen residents among all states, with the highest proportion registered in 1991 at 56.5 per cent (453.47 thousand). The highest absolute number of non-citizen residents was recorded in 2018, totalling 1,158.7 thousand.

In 2025, the non-citizen population in Sabah was estimated at 1,040.2 thousand. However, this figure remains lower than the level recorded in 2018.

The period from 2020 to 2022 reflected demographic changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in a population structure that differed from the pre-pandemic period. During the pandemic, the number of non-citizen residents in Malaysia and Sabah declined to 2.56 million and 0.78 million respectively in 2021, compared with pre-COVID-19 levels.

Sandakan recorded the highest number of non-citizen residents in 2025 at 195.1 thousand, followed by Tawau (142.9 thousand) and Kota Kinabalu (125.4 thousand). In terms of population composition, Kinabatangan recorded the highest proportion of non-citizens at 72.9 per cent, followed by Kalabakan (69.3 per cent) and Kunak (53.4 per cent).

The annual population growth rate of non-citizens in Kota Kinabalu increased to 2.9 per cent in 2025 (125.4 thousand) compared with 16.4 per cent in 2024 (121.8 thousand). This increase was driven by post-COVID-19 developments, including the reopening of economic and education sectors and the inflow of workers and international students. Nevertheless, the non-citizen population in Kota Kinabalu in 2025 remained lower than in 2018 (144.7 thousand).

The current population estimates of non-citizens for 2025 were compiled based on mid-year estimates for the period July 2024 to June 2025, derived from the 2020 Malaysia Population and Housing Census, using the de jure concept. This concept includes individuals who have lived or are expected to live as usual members of a household for six months or more during the reference year, based on their usual place of residence.

The population measurement concept does not take into account daytime and night-time populations, namely individuals who are present in an area during the day or night without residing there. The presence of daytime and night-time populations contributes to an increase in population numbers, particularly in urban areas, for purposes such as employment, business, shopping, dealings with government or private agencies, tourism, visiting relatives or friends, and other daily activities.