A growing and ageing populace

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.

The NSD said Malaysians would also be making 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,” the NSD said.

It said the number of children in the country (0 to 14 years) would hover around the 7.8 million mark, while the potential workforce (15 to 64 years) would shoot up from 19.3 million in 2010 to about 26.6 million in 2040.

Senior citizens (65 years and above) were expected to be 11.4% of the population, or 4.4 million people – three million more than in 2010.

“The working age population would have to bear the increasing number of older population,” it said.

Even with the declining fertility rate, the NSD predicted 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 was also expected to break the 30 million mark next year.

Fertility expert Datuk Wenddi-Anne Chong said families were choosing to have fewer children due to the rising costs of living.

“It’s not that people are having less sex, they’re just not having babies. It’s just too expensive to bring up a child now,” she said.

Chong added that a fast working pace and a modern lifestyle were also factors.

“People are spending less time at home, and there are all kinds of stress and distractions. So when you get home, what are the chances of you being in the mood to make babies?” she asked.