Malaysia’s falling birth rates, ageing population to strain the economy
[KUALA LUMPUR] Young Malaysians are having fewer children than the generations before them. Economists warn that if this trend plays out concurrently with rising life expectancy, the country’s healthcare and pension systems, and the economy on the whole, will come under strain.
Malaysia’s fertility rate – the average number of births per woman – plummeted from 4.9 in 1970 to just 1.6 in 2023, a span of just over 50 years. The 1.6 figure, on a par with that of the United States, is a record low in Malaysia, though it is still higher than that in many other Asian countries. The fertility rate in China is 1.1; in South Korea, it is 0.7 – the world’s lowest.
Low birthrates are not unique to Malaysia. Many of its South-east Asian peers are also grappling with such a dilemma: the figure is 0.97 in Singapore, and 1.1 in Thailand.
KEYWORDS IN THIS ARTICLE
BT is now on Telegram!
For daily updates on weekdays and specially selected content for the weekend. Subscribe to t.me/BizTimes
Asean
Thailand cuts growth outlook but pins hopes on Q4 stimulus boost
Indonesia draws 204.4 trillion rupiah in FDI in Q1, up nearly 16% annually despite political uncertainty
Indonesia to drive the growth of Asean’s green economy: PM Lee
Vietnam’s inflation advances to 15-month high amid FX, gold pressures
Berlin kidnapping charge hangs over rise of Vietnam’s anti-graft enforcer
Thailand picks capital markets veteran as finance chief