KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 6 ― Malaysia, the second most highly urbanised country in Asean, is expected to see Kuala Lumpur contribute almost one-third to the nation’s population by 2030, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).

The UK research and analysis division of The Economist Group said the capital city is projected to have 9.7 million people out of an estimated 35.3-million strong population by 2030, followed by Penang (2.4 million), Johor Baru (1.6 million) and Ipoh (0.8 million), with 20.8 million people coming from other parts of the country.

The rapid urbanisation rate is also forecast to see the combined population of the four major Malaysian cities ― Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor Baru and Ipoh ― comprise 40 per cent of the population and 66 per cent of the national personal disposable income by 2030, up from slightly more than 36 per cent of the population and 60 per cent of income estimated in 2015.

"Asean cities are still young and evolving rapidly, and the importance of migration — internal, rural-to-urban and external — cannot be ignored,” the EIU said in its report titled Asean cities: Stirring the melting pot released today.

According to the EIU, by 2030, Kuala Lumpur is projected to contribute US$229,931 (RM952,339) to the national disposable income, Penang (US$37,927), Johor Baru (US$21,392) and Ipoh (US$5,039), with US$143,625 coming from other parts of the country.

In 2015, Kuala Lumpur was estimated to contribute US$72,372 to the national disposable income, Penang (US$12,044), Johor Baru (US$7,457), Ipoh (US$2,506), with US$58,539 coming from the rest of the country.

Not only will Malaysian cities contribute to the nation’s population and income growth, the EIU also expects the highest concentration, in proportional terms, of the youth demographic (aged between 15 and 35) in Kuala Lumpur over the next 10 years.

"Driving this growth are persistently high rural-to-urban migration flows despite declining fertility rates. Cities where favourable demographics boost the labour force will have an advantage in terms of sustaining higher levels of economic and consumer spending growth,” said the EIU.

Crime is fairly prevalent in urban centres, with the level of petty and violent crime in Kuala Lumpur considered to be "uncomfortable”, according to the EIU’s 2016 Global Liveability Survey that measured lifestyle challenges for 140 cities worldwide.

"With the exception of Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, all the other Asean cities in the EIU’s Liveability Survey are found in the bottom third of our rankings,” said the EIU.

According to the EIU, Kuala Lumpur is projected to have 3.4 million households earning more than US$10,000 per annum by 2030, up from an estimated 2 million households last year and 0.8 households in 2005.

The Kuala Lumpur population is also projected to be 9.7 million strong by 2030, up from an estimated 7.1 million people in 2015 and 5.5 million people in 2005.

According to the Malaysian Department of Statistics, Malaysia’s total population is estimated at 31.7 million people this year, up from 31.2 million people in 2015.

Selangor, the country’s most developed state, is estimated to record the highest percentage of the population this year at 19.9 per cent, followed by Sabah (12 per cent) and Johor (11.5 per cent), according to the Department of Statistics.