Kuala lumpur: Life expectancy at birth for Malaysia's population is projected to increase in 2025, with babies born this year expected to live an average of 75.3 years.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) released its Abridged Life Tables, Malaysia 2023-2025 publication, highlighting this positive trend.
Chief Statistician of Malaysia Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin stated that baby girls born in 2025 are projected to outlive boys by 4.8 years, with a life expectancy of 77.9 years compared to 73.1 years for boys. He also noted that Selangor recorded the highest life expectancy at birth for both males and females from 2023 to 2025, while Terengganu had the lowest during the same period.
Mohd Uzir highlighted that four regions-Selangor, Sarawak, and the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Labuan-exceeded the national life expectancy level in 2025. Samarahan in Sarawak had the highest life expectancy at birth across three consecutive years, reaching 80.9 years in 2025, while Kecil Lojing, Kelantan, and Kuala Penyu, Sabah, recorded the lowest figures in previous years.
The report further indicated that 30 out of 156 districts surpassed the national life expectancy. Notably, Kinabatangan in Sabah had the highest life expectancy for males at 79.8 years, and Telupid, Sabah, for females at 82.8 years.
The publication also revealed a 1.3-year increase in life expectancy from 2023 to 2025, following a decline during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Chinese community is expected to have the highest life expectancy at 77.3 years in 2025, while Indians have the lowest at 71.8 years. Selangor leads in life expectancy for Malays and Chinese at the state level.
The DOSM also projected life expectancy for those reaching 15 and 60 years in 2025, with males expected to live until 73.8 and 78.8 years and females until 78.6 and 81.6 years, respectively.
In addition, Malaysia is set to chair the 15th ASEAN Community Statistical System Committee (ACSS15) to enhance regional statistical collaboration. The government has designated Oct 20 as National Statistics Day, themed 'Statistics is the Essence of Life', coinciding with the Fourth World Statistics Day, themed 'Driving Change with Quality Statistics and Data for Everyone'.