KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s non-citizen population edged down slightly in 2025 to an estimated 1.04 million, a 0.32 per cent dip from 1.04 million a year earlier, according to the International Migration Statistics 2025 released by Statistics Department (DOSM).
The data, issued on Dec 24, 2025, showed the decline followed several years of post-pandemic adjustment after border closures and labour disruptions reshaped migration patterns.
Historically, Sabah has recorded the country’s highest non-citizen population, peaking proportionally in 1991 at 56.5 per cent and in absolute terms in 2018 with about 1.16 million people.
While the 2025 estimate remains well below the 2018 high, it underscores Sabah’s long-standing role as a major destination for migrant labour and settlement.
The Covid-19 period between 2020 and 2022 marked a sharp break from earlier trends, with Malaysia’s non-citizen population falling to about 2.56 million in 2021 and Sabah’s to around 780,000.
At district level in 2025, Sandakan recorded the largest number of non-citizens at about 195,100, followed by Tawau with 142,900 and Kota Kinabalu with 125,400.
In proportional terms, Kinabatangan had the highest share of non-citizens at 72.9 per cent of its population, ahead of Kalabakan at 69.3 per cent and Kunak at 53.4 per cent.
Kota Kinabalu posted an annual growth rate of 2.9 per cent in 2025 after a sharp rebound in 2024, reflecting the reopening of economic and education sectors and the return of foreign workers and international students.
Despite the uptick, the city’s non-citizen population remains lower than its 2018 level of about 144,700, suggesting a more measured recovery rather than a full return to pre-pandemic numbers.
DOSM noted that the estimates are based on mid-year figures using the de jure concept, counting only those who reside or are expected to reside for six months or more, excluding transient daytime and nighttime populations that swell urban areas for work, study or daily activities.
