Malaysia: Growing & Ageing Polpulation



PETALING JAYA: In about 30 years from now, Malaysia will have 38.6 million people and it is expected to be a growing older populace.

Many in the year 2040 would be aged 36 and above, according to the National Statistics Department’s (NSD) Population Projections 2010-2040 document. Malaysians would also behaving fewer babies while the annual growth rate would decline from 1.8% in 2010 to 0.6% in 2040.

“The population aged 65 and over is projected to increase more than three-fold of the 2010 population. This will lead Malaysia to become an aging population in 2021”. Senior citizens (65 years and above) are expected to be 11.4% of the population, or 4.4 million people – three million more than in 2010.

It said the number of children (0 to 14 years) would hover around the 7.8 million, while the potential workforce (15 to 64 years) would shoot up from 19.3 million in 2010 to about 26.6 million in 2040. “The working age population would have to bear the increasing number of older population,” it said.

Even with the declining fertility rate, the NSD predicts Malaysia to have a much more Malay-centric society with an expected 20.8 million people by 2040 – 6.5 million more than 2010. Malaysia’s other races were, however, projected to grow very slowly, with other bumiputras, Chinese, Indians and other races growing by 1.8, 0.7, 0.4 and 0.2 million people respectively. This would mean that the Malays would take up 54.1% of a 2040 Malaysia, with minorities decreasing.

Malaysia is expected to break the 30 million mark next year.

Source: theSTAR 29-07-2013
 

 



Post a Comment