Demographics of Sabah

Sabah is the third most populous state in Malaysia, with a population of 3,418,785 according to the 2020 Malaysian census. It also has the highest non-citizen population, at 810,443. Although Malaysia is one of the least densely populated countries in Asia, Sabah is particularly sparsely populated. Most of the population is concentrated along coastal areas, with towns and urban centers seeing the most population growth.

The population of Sabah in 1970 was 653,604, with both the state and its neighbor Sarawak having about the same number of foreign nationals. In 1980, the state experienced a sharp rise in population with the arrival of almost a million refugees fleeing the Moro conflict in the neighboring southern Philippines. Around the same time, large numbers of legal workers from both Indonesia and the Philippines also arrived in Sabah, drawn by the economic boom in its primary sector. In 1992, Sabah's population increased to over 1,734,685, then to 2,468,246 in 2000. By 2010, this grew to 3,117,405. Sabah has 900,000 registered migrant workers in agriculture, plantations, construction, services, and domestic work. While the total number of illegal immigrants (including refugees) is predicted to be more than one million, most of these people are believed to have been categorized as "other bumiputera" in national statistics. Sabah has also seen an increase in the number of expatriates, mostly from China, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Australia, and Europe. In the near term, the population is expected to grow from increasing interracial marriages and migration.

People from Sabah are called Sabahans and generally identify themselves as such. Sabah is home to an estimated 42 ethnic groups, and over 200 distinct sub-ethnic groups each with their own language, culture, and spiritual beliefs. The coastal and lowland areas are inhabited mostly by the Bajau, Bruneian Malay, Bugis, Illanun, Kedayan, and Suluk/Tausūg. These groups traditionally worked as fishermen and farmers. The highland areas in the interior are inhabited mostly by the Kadazan-Dusun, Murut, and Lun Bawang (or Lun Dayeh) and their sub-groups. These groups traditionally worked as farmers and hunters. The term bumiputera (lit. 'son of the soil') is used in Malaysia to refer to those of Malay and indigenous descent. This demographic generally enjoys special privileges in education, employment, finance, and politics. Within the bumiputera demographic, the term Orang Asal refers to just those of indigenous descent, excluding the Malays.

The three largest indigenous groups in Sabah are the Kadazan-Dusun, Bajau, and Murut. These are followed by the Bruneian Malays, Suluk, and others. Citizens of Chinese descent make up the majority of the non-Bumiputera population.