PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia’s population for the third quarter (Q3) of 2025 is estimated at 34.3 million, up from 34.1 million in the same period last year, according to the Q3 2025 demographic statistics released by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).
Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said population growth in Q3 2025 was 0.5 per cent, slower than the 1.6 per cent recorded in Q3 2024.
The population composition comprised 90.1 per cent citizens and 9.9 per cent non-citizens.
Male residents rose to 18 million in Q3 2025 from 17.9 million in Q3 2024, while female residents increased to 16.3 million from 16.2 million during the same period.
"The overall sex ratio is 110 males for every 100 females, while the ratio among citizens is 102,” he said in a statement on Thursday (Nov 13).
Uzir said Malays accounted for 58.2 per cent of the population in Q3 2025, while the proportion of Chinese declined slightly to 22.2 per cent from 22.3 per cent in Q3 2024.
Other Bumiputera groups and Indians maintained at 12.3 per cent, and 6.5 per cent, respectively.
He also said that live births also continued to decline, falling 7.8 per cent to 95,469 in Q3 2025 from 103,594 in Q3 2024, reflecting slower population growth.
Selangor recorded the highest number of live births with 18,019 (18.9 per cent), while Labuan reported the lowest with 316 births (0.3 per cent).
"On average, one baby was born every minute, 43 babies every hour, and 1,038 babies daily in Q3 2025,” he said.
During the same period, 46,643 deaths were recorded, a 5.6 per cent decrease compared with Q3 2024 (49,399 deaths).
The sex ratio for deaths was 134 males for every 100 females.
"On average, one death was recorded every two minutes, 21 deaths per hour, and 507 deaths daily in Q3 2025,” he said.
Uzir noted a global trend of declining fertility rates, with many countries recording total fertility rates (TFR) below the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman aged 15 to 49.
"This phenomenon poses significant challenges to demographic structure, economic growth and social balance both globally and nationally,” he added.- Bernama
