Malaysia’s births fall 4.5pc in 2025 as fertility rate drops to 1.5 children per woman

Malaysia recorded 396,175 live births in 2025, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia. — Unsplash pic

First Published: Thursday, 15 Oct 2026 1:05 PM MYT

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 15 — Malaysia recorded a 4.5 per cent decline in live births in 2025, while the total fertility rate (TFR) fell to 1.5 children per woman, reflecting a continued downward trend in the country's birth rate.

According to the Vital Statistics, Malaysia, 2026 report released by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) today, 396,175 live births were recorded last year, down 18,743 from 414,918 in 2024.

The crude birth rate (CBR) also recorded a decrease from 12.2 births in 2024 to 11.6 births per 1,000 population in 2025.

“CBR for all major ethnic groups recorded a decrease in 2025 as compared to 2024. Malays recorded the highest CBR with 14.9 births, while Chinese remained to record the lowest CBR with 5.0 births per 1,000 population in 2025,” DOSM said in a statement.

All states recorded lower birth rates in 2025, with Terengganu recording the highest CBR with 18.7 births and Penang recording the lowest at 9.3 births per 1,000 population.

According to the report, the country's TFR fell from 1.6 children per woman in 2024 to 1.5 in 2025.

Malays remained unchanged and continued to record the highest TFR with 1.9 children per woman aged 15-49 years. The TFR for Indians remained unchanged at 1.1 children, while Chinese recorded the lowest TFR, declining from 0.9 children to 0.7 children in 2025.

At the state level, Terengganu recorded the highest TFR with 2.5 children in 2025, followed by Kelantan (2.3) and Pahang (1.8). In contrast, Penang recorded the lowest TFR with 1.1 children, declining from 1.2 children in 2024.

The number of deaths increased by 0.4 per cent (815 deaths) from 198,992 deaths in 2024 to 199,807 deaths in 2025. The crude death rate (CDR) remained unchanged at 5.8 deaths per 1,000 population in 2025.

Indians recorded the highest CDR at 8.2 deaths, while Other Bumiputera recorded the lowest CDR at 5.7 deaths in 2025. The CDR for Chinese decreased from 7.6 (2024) to 7.5 (2025).

At the state level, Perak recorded the highest CDR with 8.2 deaths, while Putrajaya recorded the lowest CDR with 2.6 deaths per 1,000 population. — Bernama