PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia recorded a 4.5% decline in live births in 2025, while the total fertility rate (TFR) fell to 1.5 children per woman, reflecting a continued downward trend in the country’s birth rate.
According to the Vital Statistics Malaysia 2026 report released by the Statistics Department (DOSM) yesterday, 396,175 live births were recorded last year, down by 18,743 from 414,918 in 2024.
The crude birth rate (CBR) also declined from 12.2 births per 1,000 population in 2024 to 11.6 in 2025.
“All major ethnic groups recorded a decrease in CBR in 2025 compared with 2024. The Malays recorded the highest CBR at 14.9 births per 1,000 population, while the Chinese recorded the lowest at 5.0,” DOSM said in a statement, Bernama reported.
All states recorded lower birth rates in 2025, with Terengganu recording the highest CBR at 18.7 births per 1,000 population and Penang the lowest at 9.3.
According to the report, the country’s TFR fell from 1.6 children per woman in 2024 to 1.5 in 2025.
The number of deaths increased by 0.4%, or 815 deaths, from 198,992 in 2024 to 199,807 in 2025. The crude death rate (CDR) remained unchanged at 5.8 deaths per 1,000 population in 2025.
Indians recorded the highest CDR at 8.2 deaths per 1,000 population, while other bumiputra recorded the lowest at 5.7. The CDR for the Chinese decreased from 7.6 in 2024 to 7.5 in 2025.
