Malaysia’s ageing process

BASED on data from the Statistics Malaysia Department (DOSM) as of April 2026, the number of elderly people in the country has surpassed 4.1 million.

Those aged 60 and above now make up 12 per cent of the population.

This means Malaysia is moving closer to becoming an ageing nation. It is projected that by 2030, the country will reach ageing nation status, with the elderly population rising to 5.8 million.

Many developed countries are already facing the challenges of ageing populations. Japan, for example, has recorded its lowest birth rate in history.

An increasing proportion of its population is entering old age.

The impact is not limited to healthcare management but also affects productivity.

In terms of healthcare, there will be mounting pressure on geriatric services and treatment of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

At the same time, life expectancy in Malaysia has risen to 76.93 years on average, with women at 76.67 years and men at 74.63 years.

This reflects improvements in lifestyle and healthcare infrastructure, but also signals the need for greater focus on managing an ageing population.