Malaysia records fewest births ever, fuelling population decline concerns
Fewer
Malaysians are having children than ever before, as rising living costs and career pressures eclipse the desire to start a family in a nation that is already ageing at an alarming rate.
The child-free trend has ignited fierce public debate, with religious leaders and government authorities alike worrying about the plummeting birth rate.
Only 93,500 births were recorded in the first quarter of this year, according to official data released this week – an 11.5 per cent drop from the same period in 2023. The figure marks a 28 per cent decline from the 130,000 births recorded at the turn of the millennium in 2000.
The statistics show a stark divide between urban and rural Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur and the industrial hub of Penang reported the lowest birth rates, while rural states such as Terengganu, Kelantan, and Pahang continue to record fertility rates above the replacement threshold.
'Only Terengganu, Kelantan, and Pahang are recording a [total fertility rate] above the replacement level,' Chief Statistician Mohd Uzir Mahidin said on Thursday.
The replacement level of 2.1 births per woman is required for a population to sustain itself. Falling below this threshold signals long-term demographic decline.
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