PETALING JAYA: Malaysia may face a “loneliness epidemic” if better social support is not in place to care for its growing number of senior citizens.
This is following the current number of care centres in Malaysia, which is insufficient for our rapidly ageing population.
Poor social support among older Malaysians also increased from 30.8% in 2018 to 33.1% last year, according to the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2025.
“Without stronger social infrastructure, we risk a ‘loneliness epidemic’ that could strain families, hospitals and the economy,” said the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry when contacted.
A loneliness epidemic generally refers to social isolation and alienation that affects large groups of people.
Universiti Malaya demographer Dr Tey Nai Peng said such a situation often has serious health and societal consequences.
“This is often manifested in depression and cognitive decline, and prevalence of chronic diseases,” he said.
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It doesn’t help that Malaysia is ageing faster than expected, or about 1.5 times faster than Japan.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad had said in a report that Malaysia was compressing a century of demographic change into just five to six decades as compared with Japan.
By 2048, one in every five people in Malaysia would also be aged 60 and above, based on data from the Population Projections 2020-2060 by the Statistics Department.
Below shows how the number of Malaysians in this age group is expected to rise over time:
Last year, news reports also said Malaysia was projected to become an “aged nation” by 2048, with 14% of the total population aged 65 and above.
Among Asean countries, Malaysia has the fourth biggest percentage of people aged 65 and above, making up 7.74% of the population as of 2024.
Thailand had the largest proportion of people in this age group at 15.36%, followed by Singapore at 13.66% and Vietnam at 9.05%.
To offer better support, the ministry said the government was promoting healthy, active ageing through Senior Citizens Activity Centres (PAWE).
“This is to help older Malaysians to remain independent and engaged.
“As of December 2025, there are a total of 217 PAWEs nationwide.
“These centres enable older people to participate in activities and socialise with the community,” the ministry said, adding that 47,020 older persons were currently registered with these centres.
Aside from expanding PAWE, Tey said other community-based spaces should be strengthened like rukun tetangga, residents’ associations and places of worship.
“Such spaces can be transformed into elder-friendly support and care hubs.
“These spaces should go beyond basic activities by offering social programmes, inter-generational activities, fitness sessions, telehealth, mini-clinics, and digital access to help older persons stay healthy, connected, and engaged,” he said.
Tey suggested that mobile PAWE units can extend services to underserved areas, while digital platforms can keep seniors connected through online classes and virtual activities.
“At the same time, old folk homes and care centres must be made more affordable and improved in both services and daily activities, ensuring that residents receive care with companionship rather than isolation,” he added.
Tey said seniors themselves can also remain active through part-time work, mentoring, or voluntary work, ensuring they continue to contribute meaningfully to society.
Age-friendly environments - both social and physical - should also be strengthened, said Universiti Putra Malaysia’s Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing research officer Chai Sen Tyng.
“An age-friendly social environment will enable older people to participate, feel included, remain connected, and maintain dignity and autonomy.
“It has a lot to do with ageism and ageist attitudes, be it for labour and employment, education and training to access health and social care services,” he said.
