Internet Users Malaysia 2026: Penetration and Growth Data

2. Internet Users Malaysia 2026: Key Figures at a Glance

Quick Answer: Malaysia had about 35.4 million internet users in DataReportal’s Digital 2026 report, equal to 98.0% of the population, with 714,000 people still offline. DOSM’s 2025 survey found 98.3% of people aged 15 and above use the internet, and 97.1% of households have internet access at home.

The DataReportal figures are from Digital 2026: Malaysia, and the survey figures are from DOSM’s ICT Use and Access Survey Report 2025. Three notes help you read these numbers:

• “2026” means early-2026 conditions. DataReportal’s 2026 report uses October 2025 data, so there is no true mid-2026 count yet.
• Connections are not people. 44.0 million mobile connections exceed the population because many people carry two SIMs. Our smartphone users in Malaysia report covers device ownership.
• Access is not quality. Being online does not mean a fast connection. For that, see our internet speed data for Malaysia.

3. How Many Internet Users Are There in Malaysia?

Quick Answer: There are about 35.4 million internet users in Malaysia, according to DataReportal’s Digital 2026 report. The count has risen from 33.03 million in early 2023, adding roughly 360,000 to 420,000 people a year. Over the same period, the number of Malaysians offline fell from about 1.09 million to 714,000.

Each year’s figures are from DataReportal’s Digital 2023, Digital 2024 and Digital 2025 Malaysia reports. What the trend tells you about internet users in Malaysia:

• The online audience is huge but steady. Each report adds a similar number of users, about 1.1% to 1.2% a year.
• The offline group is shrinking. It fell by about a third in three years, from 1.09 million to 714,000 people.
• Mobile is the main door. Most people connect through phones, which is why mobile vs desktop traffic in Malaysia tilts so heavily to mobile.

4. What Is the Internet Penetration Rate in Malaysia?

Quick Answer: Malaysia’s internet penetration rate is about 98%. DOSM’s household survey found 98.3% of people aged 15 and above used the internet in 2025, up from 96.8% in 2021. DataReportal puts penetration at 98.0% of the total population. The two figures differ slightly because they measure different groups.

The 2021 and 2022 figures are from DOSM’s 2022 report, reported by Bernama. The 2023 and 2024 figures are from DOSM’s 2024 report and Bernama’s coverage of that release.

Why the two penetration rates differ. DOSM interviews households and counts people aged 15 and above. DataReportal compiles third-party data and divides by the whole population, including young children. Both land near 98%, so either is safe to quote, as long as you name the source and the year. In the 2026 report, DataReportal also lists the adoption rate as unchanged from a year earlier.

5. Who Is Still Offline in Malaysia?

Quick Answer: The biggest gaps are rural areas and older people. In 2025, 99.2% of urban residents used the internet compared with 95.7% in rural areas, and only 90.7% of rural households had home internet. Usage among people aged 60 and above was 92.3%. The gender gap is small, at under one percentage point.

The household and sex figures are from DOSM’s 2025 release, linked above. The urban, rural and over-60 usage rates are from The Sun’s report on the DOSM survey. Here is what these gaps mean when you plan campaigns for internet users in Malaysia:

• Rural homes lag more than rural people. About one in ten rural households has no home connection, so many rural users rely on mobile data. Our internet access by state data shows where the gaps sit.
• Seniors are online, but less so. Over 92% of people aged 60 and above now use the internet. Our senior internet users report covers how they behave online.
• Gender is not a barrier. With men at 98.7% and women at 97.8%, you can target either group online with confidence.

6. What Do Malaysians Do Online?

Quick Answer: Social networking is the top activity for internet users in Malaysia, used by 99.7% of internet users in DOSM’s 2025 survey. Watching or downloading media (94.8%) and searching for information on goods and services (94.6%) follow closely. In DOSM’s 2022 survey, about 74.8% banked online and 70.4% bought goods or services online.

The 2025 activity shares come from The Sun’s coverage of the DOSM release, and the 2022 shares from Bernama’s coverage of the 2022 survey, both linked above. Three patterns stand out for marketers:

• Social is near-universal. Almost every user is on social media, though platform choice varies. See our social media statistics for Malaysia, plus our TikTok users in Malaysia and Threads users in Malaysia reports.
• Product research happens online. With 94.6% searching for goods and services, buyers compare you before they call. Our search engine market share in Malaysia report shows which engines they use.
• Paying online is normal. Online banking and shopping are mainstream, as our e-commerce statistics for Malaysia and Buy Now Pay Later data show.

7. Is Internet User Growth in Malaysia Slowing Down?

Quick Answer: Yes. Internet users in Malaysia grew by 409,000, or 1.2%, in DataReportal’s 2026 report. Malaysia’s population grew by the same 1.2%, so the share of people online barely moved. Growth now mostly reflects population growth and young people coming of age, not adults going online for the first time.

DataReportal’s 2026 report puts the population at 36.1 million, up 417,000 in a year, and internet users up 409,000. In other words, the online audience is now growing at the speed of the population. Our Malaysia population guide for marketers covers the wider demographic picture.

A saturated market changes where growth comes from:

You can see the “more per person” shift in our mobile data usage in Malaysia report and in the rapid take-up tracked by our 5G Malaysia statistics.

8. What This Means for Your Marketing

Quick Answer: With about 98% of Malaysians online, your marketing should focus on being found, not just being present. Rank for the searches buyers make, build for mobile, cover rural and older users, match each channel to what people do online, make payment easy and measure everything by device and location.

Here is the six-step plan we use with clients now that internet users in Malaysia make up almost the whole market:

1. Win the search, not just the listing. With 94.6% of users researching goods and services online, ranking matters most. Start with our guide to SEO in Malaysia and, for shops and clinics, local SEO in Malaysia.
2. Build for the phone first. Most users connect on mobile. Check your site against our mobile-friendly website checklist and test on both platforms covered in our iPhone vs Android in Malaysia data.
3. Serve rural and older users. Keep pages light for patchy connections, use clear fonts and give a WhatsApp option. Our WhatsApp users in Malaysia report shows why it works.
4. Match channel to activity. Use social video to be noticed and search to be chosen. Our YouTube users in Malaysia and Google Year in Search Malaysia reports help you plan both.
5. Make paying easy. Offer the methods Malaysians already use, from e-wallets to bank transfers, as covered in our online payment methods in Malaysia guide.
6. Measure by device and location. Split results by mobile, desktop and state in Google Analytics and your ad reports, then shift budget to the segments that convert.

Our SEO services team handles step one, and we pair it with web design and Meta Ads so the traffic you earn lands on pages that convert.

9. Conclusion

Quick Answer: Malaysia has about 35.4 million internet users and a penetration rate near 98%, growing at roughly the pace of the population. Rural households and people aged 60 and above are the last gaps. For businesses, the online audience is complete, so the advantage goes to whoever is easiest to find and buy from.

The internet users Malaysia data tells a simple story. The audience is already here, and it is not getting much bigger. Every competitor can reach the same 35 million people, so your edge comes from ranking higher, loading faster and earning trust sooner.

If you want more of those searches to end on your website, our SEO services team can show you where to start.

10. Frequently Asked Questions

1. How many internet users are there in Malaysia in 2026?

DataReportal’s Digital 2026 report counts about 35.4 million internet users in Malaysia, based on October 2025 data. That is 98.0% of the population. It is the latest published count, so there is no mid-2026 figure yet.

2. What is the internet penetration rate in Malaysia?

About 98%. DOSM’s 2025 survey found 98.3% of people aged 15 and above use the internet, while DataReportal puts penetration at 98.0% of the total population. The small difference comes from the different age groups each source measures.

3. How many Malaysians do not use the internet?

DataReportal estimates about 714,000 people, or 2.0% of the population, were offline in its 2026 report. That is down from about 1.09 million in its 2023 report. Rural residents and people aged 60 and above make up a larger share of the offline group.

4. What percentage of Malaysian households have internet access?

DOSM’s 2025 survey found 97.1% of households had internet access, up from 94.9% in 2021. Urban households were at 99.0% and rural households at 90.7%, so about one in ten rural homes still has no home connection.

5. Is the number of internet users in Malaysia still growing?

Yes, but slowly. DataReportal recorded growth of 409,000 users, or 1.2%, in its 2026 report, matching population growth. The share of Malaysians online is close to its ceiling, so future growth will come mainly from population growth.