Quick facts
Sandakan overview
Sandakan (orange) and the other large cities of Malaysia
Sandakan lies in Sabah in Malaysia at 5.84°N, 118.12°E, about 10 m above sea level. The local time zone is Asia/Kuching (UTC+8).
It is smaller than Kota Damansara (500,000) and larger than Kuala Terengganu (426,500). The largest city in Malaysia is Kuala Lumpur with 1,453,975 people and is also the capital.
The national capital, Kuala Lumpur, is about 1,846 km away; the nearest large city is Lahad Datu, 94 km from Sandakan.
Malaysia as a whole has a live population of 36,505,719 (+1.1% a year) and ranks #45 of 238 countries — see the Malaysia population page for the full statistics and the Malaysia atlas for provinces, terrain and society maps.
Cities near Sandakan
| City | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Lahad Datu Sabah | 94 km | 105,622 |
| Tawau Sabah | 179 km | 372,615 |
Largest cities in Malaysia
| # | City | Region | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kuala LumpurCapital | Kuala Lumpur | 1,453,975 |
| 2 | Johor Bahru | Johor | 858,118 |
| 3 | Kampung Baru Subang | Selangor | 833,571 |
| 4 | Petaling Jaya | Selangor | 807,879 |
| 5 | Ipoh | Perak | 759,952 |
| 6 | Shah Alam | Selangor | 740,750 |
| 7 | Bukit Rahman Putra | Selangor | 607,000 |
| 8 | Pelentong | Johor | 583,640 |
| 9 | Malacca | Melaka | 579,000 |
| 10 | Iskandar Puteri | Johor | 575,977 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Sandakan?
Sandakan has about 439,050 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Sandakan the capital of Malaysia?
No. The capital of Malaysia is Kuala Lumpur (1,453,975 people), about 1,846 km away. Sandakan is the 21st largest city of the country.
How big is Sandakan compared with the rest of Malaysia?
Its 439,050 residents are 1.2% of the 36,505,719 people living in Malaysia today. Kuala Lumpur is larger with 1,453,975 people.
Where is Sandakan?
In Sabah, Malaysia, at latitude 5.84 and longitude 118.12, 10 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Lahad Datu (94 km), Tawau (179 km).
Explore more
Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Sandakan Population 2026 — Malaysia. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/malaysia/sandakan/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/malaysia/sandakan/">Sandakan Population 2026 — Malaysia</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
City populations are GeoNames figures (CC BY 4.0): the latest official census or estimate for the city proper — the municipality, not the wider metropolitan area — so they can differ from "metro area" numbers you see elsewhere. Country populations are live Glostats estimates from the UN World Population Prospects. Distances are great-circle distances between city centres. Page generated 2026-10-21. More about our data.