Far East: Malaysia Records The Lowest Birth, Ever In History
malaysia recorded the lowest birthrate since record began. picture via EPA-EFE.
The first quarter of 2025 marks a new historic milestone for Malaysia, one that the country is not proud of. That milestone was the lowest recorded births with only 93,500 births, an 11.5% drop from the first quarter of 2023 and a 28% decrease from the 130,000 recorded in the year 2000.
While officials warn of the potential sharper decrease in births for the upcoming year, this drop for Malaysia is one of many concerning population declines in the Asia-Pacific, from South Korea to Thailand. Malaysia now joins the club of Asian nations with low birth concerns.
Key Backgrounds
malaysia only recorded 93,500 live births for the first quarter of 2025. picture via Firdaus Latif.
Malaysia is a country of over 35.13 million people, the 45th largest in the world. With such a figure, the latest birth rate of Malaysia sounds disastrous as the country now has 93,500 live births in the first quarter of 2025, a massive decrease from 105,613 in the first quarter last year.
This reflects the divide between urban and rural Malaysia, where urban centers like Kuala Lumpur, the capital, and Penang, the country’s leading industrial hub, have reported the lowest birth rates, while the rural states of Terengganu, Kelantan, and Pahang are the only ones still recording fertility rates above the replacement level. According to the country’s department of statistics, over 68.8% of births are ethnic Malay, with 8.6% ethnic Chinese, 3.8% ethnic Indian, and 12.6% other Bumiputera ethnic.
Ethnic Breakdown:
Malay: 68.8%
Other Bumiputera: 12.6%
Chinese: 8.6%
Indian: 3.8%
Experts believe that by 2040, some states, especially in rural areas, are projected to have nearly a quarter of their residents older than 60, while younger demographics continue to seek better lifestyle and career opportunities abroad. This trend can be seen in the state of Sabah, one of Malaysia’s poorest states, where fertility rates have gone from 5.5 per woman in 1980 to 1.4 in 2022. This is the result of massive migration to Peninsular Malaysia from the state.
How Did it Get This Bad?
Analysts have cited the cost of living, especially in urban areas, to be the culprit in this crisis. A study has mentioned that Malaysia’s negative relationship with its fertility rates will pose hefty economic and social consequences that will affect the country’s ability to compete in the Asia-Pacific region in the long run.
In the forefront of this crisis are Malaysia’s urban centers, such as the aforementioned Kuala Lumpur and Penang, where both states have reported the lowest birth rates in the country. This can be attributed to the transition occurring in the country's urban areas, where increasing Westernization and more prevalent lifestyle constraints are influencing fertility trends. Women in urban centers have shown trends of marrying later while participating in the workforce longer. Malaysian couples have also shown to be more deliberate in making family choices, often opting for fewer children to cut the cost of living.
While the Malaysian government has yet to introduce any significant policy that could mitigate the impending crisis, they have publicly acknowledged the urgency of the matter with the National Security Council weighing in a rare statement last year that a child-free trend could potentially destabilize the country’s delicate ‘social fabric’.
Asia-Pacific’s Downward Curve of Births
Japan is one of the fastest declining population in the Asia Pacific. Hiro Komae via AP Photo.
Malaysia’s lowest record in births is the latest development for the region, as many countries are now combating very similar concerns. In Japan, only 720,998 babies were born in 2024, a 5% drop from the previous year, according to the Health and Welfare Ministry of Japan, a record low since the statistics began in 1899. This result came 15 years ahead of its forecasted level. This result coincides with South Korea’s ongoing struggle with a severe low birthrate crisis, as the country faces labor shortages and mounting welfare costs.
Up to the immediate north of Malaysia itself, Thailand is also facing new waves of record low births, as in 2024, the country only recorded 464,240 births, the lowest since 1949. This decline trend was a result of economic uncertainty and lifestyle changes, as many individuals are planning not to marry and continue working.
That particular lifestyle change, however, is not unique to Thailand. Malaysia and almost every other country in the Asia-Pacific with declining birth rates have identified it as the main culprit for their respective crises as well. The lifestyle in question was posed as the working culture shifts as women are now taking more part in the workplace in Asia, in particular amongst the leadership positions, which is something that has only been dominated by men up until recently. The cost of living is also in part to blame, as the cost to raise children in many economies in Asia has skyrocketed within the past decade, discouraging individuals from having children or even marrying at all. To combat this, some countries like Japan and South Korea have offered financial and welfare aid to incentivize more couples to have children.
In the meantime, as Asia is yet to fully address this issue, it must recognize that incentives might not work best in their favor and that the impending labor shortages and brain drain is also an issue, deep-rooted into their society. Without the prior acknowledgement, it will be difficult for the region to overcome this crisis in the upcoming years.