Sabah’s non-citizen population fell slightly to 1.04 million in 2025, with Sandakan, Tawau, and Kota Kinabalu having the highest numbers.
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s non-citizen population decreased slightly to 1,040,200 last year, a drop of 0.32% from 1,043,600 in the previous year.
The figures were released by the Sabah Department of Statistics Malaysia based on its International Migration Statistics 2025.
While Sabah has recorded the highest non-citizen population among all states since 1991, the 2025 total remains below the peak of 1.158 million seen in 2018.
Sandakan recorded the highest number of non-citizens last year at 195,100.
It was followed by Tawau with 142,900 and Kota Kinabalu with 125,400.
In terms of population composition, Kinabatangan had the highest proportion of non-citizens at 72.9%.
Kalabakan followed with 69.3% and Kunak with 53.4%.
