Population creeps up 0.4% to 32.73 million

Malaysia’s population was estimated at 32.73 million in the fourth quarter of 2020, an increase of 0.4% from 32.59 million in the same period of 2019, according to the Demographic Statistics report.

Chief statistician Mohd Uzir Mahidin in a statement today said based on the report, the country’s total population comprised 29.85 million or 91.2% citizens and 2.87 million or 8.8% non-citizens.

Males outnumbered females at 16.83 million and 15.90 million respectively.

Uzir said the population composition of those aged 0 to 14 years decreased from 7.63 million in the fourth quarter of 2019 to 7.57 million in the same period of 2020.

A total of 468,975 live births were recorded in 2020, 121,251 of them in the fourth quarter of that year – a decline of 2.5% from 124,384 in the same quarter of 2019.

The population composition of those aged 65 years and above increased from 2.24 million to 2.34 million during the same period.

“This trend is in line with other developed countries that are heading towards an ageing population,” Uzir said.

A total of 174,313 deaths were reported in 2020, 44,390 of them in the fourth quarter of that year – a drop of 0.4% from 44,566 in the same quarter of 2019.