PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia’s population aged 65 years and over increased to 2.23 million in the fourth quarter of 2019 compared to 2.14 million in the same period in 2018, according to demographic statistics.
Commenting on the report, Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the trend was in line with that in other developed countries which are heading towards an ageing population.
During the same period, he said: “The composition of population aged 0 to 14 years old (young age) decreased to 7.55 million from 7.65 million in the fourth quarter of 2018.
“Meanwhile, the population aged 15 to 64 years old (working age) increased from 22.69 million (fourth quarter 2018) to 22.90 million,” he said in a statement here yesterday.
Mohd Uzir said Malaysia’s population in the fourth quarter of 2019 was estimated at 32.68 million, increased by 0.6 per cent, as compared to 32.48 million in the fourth quarter of 2018 .
The total population comprised 29.54 million (90.4 per cent) citizens and 3.15 million (9.6 per cent) non-citizens, he said.
Mohd Uzir added that in the fourth quarter of 2019, the number of males increased to 16.88 million from 16.77 million in fourth quarter of 2018, while females increased to 15.81 million from 15.72 million during the same period.
“The sex ratio remained at 107 males per 100 females,” he said.
Mohd Uzir said a total of 124,240 live births were recorded in the fourth quarter of 2019, decreasing by 2.3 per cent, compared to the fourth quarter of 2018 (127,168).
A total of 43,623 deaths were recorded in the fourth quarter of 2019, increased by 0.8 per cent as compared to 43,264 in the fourth quarter of 2018, he said. — Bernama