Rising living costs delay wedding plans for Malaysian youth
KUALA LUMPUR: Most single Malaysians aspire to marry and have children but rising living costs, financial insecurity and unstable employment are making their hopes increasingly difficult to achieve, says the National Population and Family Development Board.
A survey of 3,625 Malaysians aged 18 and above conducted by the board last year found that 90.9% of the single respondents intended to marry, while 91.1% hoped to have children in the future, said board chairman Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim.
The findings showed that young Malaysians had not given up on marriage or parenthood, but needed stronger economic and social support to turn those aspirations into reality, she said yesterday during a World Population Day 2026 celebration.
Rohani said the global demographic landscape was changing rapidly, with declining fertility, ageing populations and evolving household structures.
“Young people are taking longer to secure stable employment, housing and financial independence before forming families.
“Unlocking the full potential of younger generations requires massive investment in inclusive quality education and training,” she said.
Rohani said young people had also expressed concerns over the rising cost of getting married, the financial burden of raising children and the childcare needed when both parents are working.
“They told us that even getting married has become expensive. The cost of wedding ceremonies, preparations and everything else can be overwhelming,” she said.
She added that 17.6% of married respondents were unable to have the number of children they desired because of insufficient household income, the rising cost of living, demanding work schedules, fertility issues, and health concerns.
Some 33.8% wished to have a child or another child, with the average desired family size standing at 2.8 children, she said.
Rohani said the findings echoed those of the United Nations Population Fund’s (U PA) 2026 Demographic Futures Survey, which found that while most young people still desired marriage and parenthood, economic realities were delaying them from achieving those goals.
According to the U PA survey, which involved more than 100,000 adults aged between 18 and 39 across 73 countries, more than two-thirds hoped to marry or live with a partner, while about 90% wanted at least one child.
“These findings reinforce U PA’s call for countries to invest in young people’s aspirations by removing the barriers that prevent them from building the lives and families they desire.
“This requires quality education and training, decent work, secure employment, affordable housing, accessible reproductive and fertility health services, stronger social protection, affordable childcare, parental leave and flexible working arrangements,” she said.
Rohani said Malaysia was strengthening these efforts through the National Family Love Policy and the National Family Action Plan 2026-2030, which aim to strengthen marriage, family planning, parenting and family support at every stage of life.
“The government will continue to strengthen a family-friendly ecosystem to ensure young people have better opportunities and support to marry, build families and have children, in line with their aspirations and the country’s development needs.
“Our young generation still appreciates the importance of getting married and starting a family, but they need an enabling environment to realise their aspirations.
“As such, the government’s responsibility is not to determine their family choices, but to ensure that every decision is made with adequate information, free from pressure, and supported by fairer economic and social opportunities,” she said.
