PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia's population is expected to reach its highest point of 42.38 million in 2059, before gradually declining to 42.37 million in 2060, 42.08 million in 2065 and 41.43 million by 2070, according to the Statistics Department (DOSM).
In a statement Friday (July 11), Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said that although the population will grow steadily from 2020 to 2059, the growth rate will sharply slow down from 1.7% in 2020 to just 0.1% by 2060.
He highlighted that the populations of Kelantan, Pahang, Perak, Terengganu and Putrajaya are projected to increase continuously up to 2060.
Selangor is expected to remain the most populous state with 8.10 million residents by 2060, followed by Johor (4.99 million) and Sabah (4.89 million).
The population projections, covering the period from 2020 to 2060, were published Friday in conjunction with World Population Day 2025. The report presents detailed demographic changes using 2020 as the baseline.
Mohd Uzir noted that nine states are projected to reach their population peaks before the national peak in 2059. These include Kuala Lumpur (2031), Pulau Pinang (2040), Labuan (2041), Selangor (2049), Johor and Kedah (2052), Negeri Sembilan (2054) as well as Perlis and Sarawak (2055).
Ethnic composition is also expected to shift, with the Bumiputera population increasing by 10.2 percentage points, from 69.4% in 2020 to 79.4% in 2060.
Meanwhile, the Chinese and Indian populations are projected to decline to 14.8% (from 23.2% in 2020) and 4.7% (from 6.7%), respectively.
Both male and female populations are projected to grow steadily, with males consistently outnumbering females. The sex ratio is expected to rise from 110 males per 100 females in 2020 to 114 males per 100 females by 2060, Mohd Uzir added. - Bernama
