Good to know
Good to Know
- Semporna is deeply rooted in maritime culture with thousands of Bajau Laut people living traditionally on boats around the city.
- The city hosts the only Chavacano-speaking community in Malaysia, descendants of refugees from the Philippines.
- Economy primarily driven by fishing/marine products and tourism (diving/snorkeling to nearby islands like Sipadan).
- Significant undocumented migration from southern Philippines (Sulu Archipelago, Mindanao) is an ongoing demographic reality.
Religion
Islam
- Percentage
- 85
Christian
- Percentage
- 12.45
Buddhist
- Percentage
- 1
Languages
Sabah Malay Creole
- Status
- lingua franca
Bajau
- Status
- strong influence on local Malay dialect
Chavacano
- Status
- co-official language; unique to Semporna in Malaysia
Ethnic Composition
- Majority
- Bajau (including Bajau Laut/Sea Gypsies and Bajau Darat)
Notable Groups
Bajau
- Notes
- Majority population; Bajau Laut (sea gypsies) traditionally nomadic, living on boats; Bajau Darat inhabit coastal areas with land-based economy
Suluk
- Notes
- Significant community; high rates of intermarriage with Bajau; close family ties across border in Sulu Archipelago and Mindanao
Filipino
- Notes
- Includes Chavacano speakers (refugees/descendants from Moro conflict in Philippines); significant portion documented as illegal immigrants from southern Philippines
Hakka ethnic group forms majority of Chinese population
- Ethnicity
- Chinese
Population
- Primary Source
- World Population Review 2026 projection
- Year Estimated
- 2026
- Current Estimate
- 220261
Foreign Resident Data
No official statistics available; significant undocumented Filipino population documented; Chavacano refugees/descendants present; no reliable legal expat/foreign resident count found
Business Tech Presence
Limited documented tech/startup ecosystem; primary economy is marine products and tourism; tourism-related businesses (dive shops, water sports operators) documented; no identified tech hubs or notable startup presence
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this local demographics research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Semporna
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.