Malaysia's Birth Rate Drops 6.1% in Second Quarter

Malaysia's birth rate has seen a notable decline, with 90,726 live births recorded in the second quarter of 2026. This figure represents a 6.1% decrease compared to the same period in the previous year, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).

Selangor registered the highest number of live births, accounting for 18.5% of the total, while the Federal Territory of Labuan recorded the lowest with just 0.3%. The data also indicates that mothers aged between 30 and 39 years contributed the most to the birth figures, with 52.6% of all births. Mothers aged 20-29 followed, making up 39.7% of births.

In terms of ethnicity, Malays constituted the largest group of newborns at 67.3%, a slight increase from 67.1% in the second quarter of 2025. However, the proportion of births among the Chinese and Indian ethnic groups saw a decrease, falling from 8.7% and 4.3% in Q2 2025 to 7.5% and 3.8% in Q2 2026, respectively. Conversely, births among other Bumiputera groups rose to 14.3% from 12.8%.

Meanwhile, the total number of deaths recorded in the second quarter of 2026 rose slightly by 0.6% to 49,827, compared to 49,552 in the same period of the prior year. The elderly population, aged 60 and above, accounted for the majority of deaths at 71.3%. Selangor also reported the highest number of deaths, while the Federal Territory of Putrajaya had the lowest.