# Pahang: the largest state in Peninsular Malaysia, but only 46 people per square kilometre

> A profile of Pahang Darul Makmur — state capital Kuantan, royal town Pekan, the institution of the Sultan of Pahang, 11 administrative districts, the state most dependent on agriculture among all states, and Taman Negara spanning three states.

- Category: states
- Language: en
- Status: published
- Updated: 2026-07-24
- Canonical: https://negaraku.md/en/states/pahang

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Pahang covers more than a quarter of the land area of Peninsular Malaysia, yet
only one in every 20 Malaysians lives there.

That single fact explains almost everything about this state: why its forests
remain so extensive, why its economy leans on land rather than factories, and
why Taman Negara can exist in a form that could not survive in
[Selangor](/en/states/selangor) or [Penang](/en/states/penang).

## Key facts

| | |
| --- | --- |
| Full name | Negeri Pahang Darul Makmur |
| Administrative state capital | Kuantan |
| Royal town | Pekan |
| Head of state | Sultan of Pahang |
| Area | 35,965 km² |
| Administrative districts | 11 |
| Population (2025, initial estimate) | 1,678,200 people |
| Population density | 46 people / km² |
| GDP (2025, 2015 constant prices) | RM71.0 billion |
| Coastline | About 208 km facing the South China Sea |

Source: official Pahang State Government portal, DOSM and Tourism Pahang.

## Vast space, sparse population

Pahang borders Kelantan to the north; Perak, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan to
the west; Johor to the south; and Terengganu and the South China Sea to the
east. It touches six other states — more than any other state in the
Peninsula.

Its population figures move slowly. DOSM estimates 1,678,200 people in 2025,
up from 1,667,700 in 2024. That 0.6 percent annual growth rate actually
exceeds the national rate of 0.5 percent, but the base is small: Pahang
accounts for only 4.9 percent of Malaysia's 34.2 million population.

Divide population by land, and the resulting figure tells the whole story:

| Area | Population density (people/km², 2025) |
| --- | --- |
| W.P. Kuala Lumpur | 8,546 |
| Penang | 1,749 |
| Malaysia average | 104 |
| Terengganu | 96 |
| Sabah | 51 |
| **Pahang** | **46** |
| Sarawak | 20 |

Source: DOSM, Anggaran Penduduk Semasa Malaysia 2025.

Only Sarawak is sparser. DOSM also records two other demographic features for
2025: Pahang's sex ratio is 114 men for every 100 women — among the highest in
the country — and Pahang became one of three states to newly reach ageing-state
status, with 7.1 percent of its population aged 65 and above.

## Eleven districts, two centres

Pahang is divided into 11 administrative districts: **Pekan, Kuantan, Rompin,
Maran, Bera, Jerantut, Temerloh, Raub, Bentong, Lipis** and **Cameron
Highlands**.

The state operates with two centres serving different functions. **Kuantan**
is the administrative state capital and the location of Wisma Sri Pahang, the
Office of the State Secretary. **Pekan**, meanwhile, is the royal town.

Its geography is also layered. On the east coast lies a coastal strip about
208 kilometres long facing the South China Sea. Inland stretches the Pahang
River basin. To the west lie highlands — Cameron Highlands, Genting Highlands
and Fraser's Hill — making Pahang the only state that hosts all three of the
Peninsula's major hill-resort centres.

## Economy: the state most dependent on land

Pahang's GDP was worth **RM71.0 billion in 2025** (2015 constant prices), up
from RM68.8 billion in 2024 — growth of about 3.2 percent, following a faster
increase of about 5.8 percent the year before.

The breakdown by sector is what sets Pahang apart:

| Sector | 2025 value (RM billion) | Share of state GDP |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Services | 37.3 | 52.6% |
| Agriculture | 15.9 | 22.4% |
| Manufacturing | 14.7 | 20.8% |
| Construction | 2.3 | 3.3% |
| Mining and quarrying | 0.6 | 0.8% |

Values from the DOSM data catalogue; percentage shares calculated from those
values.

Agriculture's 22.4 percent share is the highest among all states in Malaysia
based on 2025 DOSM figures — surpassing Kelantan (about 19.8 percent) and
Perlis (about 16.5 percent). By comparison, in Selangor agriculture contributes
only about 1.1 percent.

Oil palm explains much of this. As at December 2025, MPOB recorded **745,445
hectares** of planted oil palm area in Pahang — 13.1 percent of the Malaysian
total, and the largest area in the Peninsula, surpassing [Johor](/en/states/johor)
(675,558 hectares). Nearly 30 percent of all oil palm area in Peninsular
Malaysia is located in Pahang. The background of this sector is explained in
[the oil palm industry](/en/economy/palm-oil-sector).

Notice too what is small. Mining and quarrying contributes less than one
percent of state GDP, even though Pahang's history is often associated with
tin and gold mining.

## Taman Negara: a forest older than the Himalayas

Taman Negara covers **4,343 square kilometres** and crosses the borders of
three states — Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu. As a sense of scale, that area
is equivalent to about 12 percent of Pahang's own area, although the park is
not located entirely within this state.

The official Tourism Pahang portal describes it as among the oldest
rainforests in the world, about 130 million years old, with about 14,000 plant
species, over 300 bird species, 250 freshwater fish species and 200 mammal
species.

Within it stands **Gunung Tahan, 2,187 metres tall**, the highest peak in
Peninsular Malaysia. The PERHILITAN Department lists two seven-day, six-night
trekking route packages — from Kuala Tahan up and back down to Kuala Tahan, or
from Kuala Tahan down to Kuala Juram in Merapoh — and requires a mountain guide
for every group.

| Item | Details |
| --- | --- |
| Main entry point | Kuala Tahan, Jerantut district |
| Distance from Jerantut town | About 68 km |
| Park management | PERHILITAN Department |
| Notable feature | Canopy walkway suspended about 45 metres above ground |

Taman Negara's importance is not merely touristic. It is the only large
lowland rainforest block in the Peninsula that has been continuously protected
since before independence, and it functions as a catchment area for a river
system that flows into three states. Tourism's contribution to the national
economy is discussed in the [tourism](/en/economy/tourism) article.

## Royal institutions and Pekan

The head of state of Pahang holds the title **Sultan of Pahang**. The official
Istana Pahang website lists His Majesty's full title as *Kebawah Duli Paduka
Baginda Sultan Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah
ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah*.

The same site records that His Majesty was born on 30 July 1959, was appointed
Tengku Mahkota Pahang (Crown Prince of Pahang) on 1 July 1975, and became
Regent on 28 April 1979.

According to the official list of the Parliament of Malaysia, His Majesty held
the position of the **16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong** from 31 January 2019 to 30
January 2024, representing Pahang in the rotation of the Conference of Rulers.
That position is now held by Sultan Ibrahim ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar of
Johor since 31 January 2024.

The state's royal town is **Pekan**, the centre of Pahang's royal institutions
and the state's former administrative centre before Kuantan.

The Sultan's position as head of state, and the relationship between the state
and the Federation, is framed by the [Federal Constitution](/en/law/federal-constitution)
together with each state's own constitution. This structure varies between
states — compare with [Negeri Sembilan](/en/states/negeri-sembilan), whose head
of state is elected and holds the title Yang di-Pertuan Besar.

This section is purely descriptive and does not make any judgement.

## Common misconceptions

**"Pahang is the largest state in Malaysia."** It is the largest state in the
*Peninsula*. Sarawak and Sabah are both larger.

**"Kuantan is the royal town."** Kuantan is the administrative state capital.
The royal town is Pekan.

**"Taman Negara is Pahang's state park."** It crosses Pahang, Kelantan and
Terengganu, and is managed by the PERHILITAN Department at the federal level
for Peninsular Malaysia.

**"Sparse population means a small economy."** Pahang's GDP of RM71.0 billion
in 2025 exceeds several more populous states. Its economy per unit of land is
indeed low, but its overall output is not small.

**"Cameron Highlands is a town, not a district."** Cameron Highlands is one of
Pahang's 11 administrative districts.

## Note on the figures

The 2025 population figure is DOSM's initial estimate, not a full census, and
is typically revised. GDP figures are stated at 2015 constant prices so that
year-on-year comparisons are meaningful; values at current prices will differ.
The sector shares in the table above are calculated by the editor from DOSM's
absolute values.

This article is a draft status and has not yet undergone human review.

## What's next

- For district- and DUN-level population, income or economic data, use the
  [DOSM](/en/government/dosm) data catalogue and dashboard.
- For the national economic context in which the RM71.0 billion figure sits,
  see the [overview of Malaysia's GDP](/en/economy/gdp-overview).
- To understand the sector that forms the backbone of Pahang's economy, see
  [the oil palm industry](/en/economy/palm-oil-sector).
- For comparisons of state structures, see [Johor](/en/states/johor),
  [Selangor](/en/states/selangor) and [Negeri Sembilan](/en/states/negeri-sembilan).
- For permit, accommodation and route information for Taman Negara, refer
  directly to the official PERHILITAN Department website before planning a
  visit.

## Sources

- Portal Rasmi Kerajaan Negeri Pahang — Pengenalan Negeri — https://www.pahang.gov.my/index.php/pages/view/348 (Kerajaan Negeri Pahang)
- Anggaran Penduduk Semasa Malaysia 2025 — https://storage.dosm.gov.my/demography/population_2025.pdf (Jabatan Perangkaan Malaysia (DOSM))
- Keluaran Dalam Negeri Kasar (KDNK) Mengikut Negeri, 2025 — https://www.dosm.gov.my/portal-main/release-content/gross-domestic-product-gdp-by-state-2025 (Jabatan Perangkaan Malaysia (DOSM))
- Katalog Data: KDNK Tahunan Mengikut Negeri dan Sektor Ekonomi (gdp_state_real_supply) — https://open.dosm.gov.my/data-catalogue/gdp_state_real_supply (Jabatan Perangkaan Malaysia (DOSM))
- Oil Palm Planted Area as at December 2025 — https://bepi.mpob.gov.my/images/area/2025/Area_summary2025.pdf (Lembaga Minyak Sawit Malaysia (MPOB))
- Taman Negara — 130 Million Years Old Natural Wonder — https://www.pahangtourism.org.my/index.php/destination/nature-adventure/jerantut/taman-negara (Tourism Pahang, Kerajaan Negeri Pahang)
- Taman Negara Pahang, Kuala Tahan — https://www.wildlife.gov.my/taman-negara-pahang-kuala-tahan/ (Jabatan Perlindungan Hidupan Liar dan Taman Negara (PERHILITAN))
- About Pahang — https://www.pahangtourism.com.my/about-pahang/ (Tourism Pahang, Kerajaan Negeri Pahang)
- KDPB Sultan Pahang — https://istanapahang.my/utama/kdymm-sultan-pahang/ (Istana Pahang)
- Senarai Yang di-Pertuan Agong — https://www.parlimen.gov.my/yda-senarai-yang-di-pertuan-agong.html?uweb=yg (Parlimen Malaysia)

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Source of truth: https://github.com/negaraku-md/NegaraKu.md
License: CC BY-SA 4.0