Malaysia vs South Africa: Net migration
Malaysia
166,615
in 2025
South Africa
146,370
in 2025
Malaysia rank
7th
South Africa rank
9th
Net migration over time
- Malaysia
- South Africa
How they compare
Malaysia currently reports 166,615 against 146,370 in South Africa, a difference of 20,245.
That makes Malaysia's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 7 times across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was South Africa ahead.
Malaysia ranks 7th and South Africa ranks 9th of 215 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Malaysia averaged higher in 3 and South Africa in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malaysia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -40,761 | 68,955 | 109,716 | South Africa |
| 1970s | -20,203 | 46,061 | 66,264 | South Africa |
| 1980s | 112,089 | 264,458 | 152,369 | South Africa |
| 1990s | 83,985 | -52,295 | 136,280 | Malaysia |
| 2000s | 197,664 | 15,644 | 182,020 | Malaysia |
| 2010s | 178,657 | 165,719 | 12,937 | Malaysia |
| 2020s | 166,837 | 267,166 | 100,329 | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher net migration, Malaysia or South Africa?
- Malaysia, at 166,615 against 146,370 in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in net migration between Malaysia and South Africa?
- 20,245, with Malaysia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malaysia and South Africa?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do Malaysia and South Africa rank globally for net migration?
- Malaysia ranks 7th and South Africa ranks 9th of 215 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division, published as Net migration. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Net migration is the net total of migrants during the period, that is, the number of immigrants minus the number of emigrants, including both citizens and noncitizens.