Fertility rate, total (births per woman) (UNESCO Institute) in Malaysia
Malaysia: Fertility rate, total (births per woman) (UNESCO Institute) was 1.55 births per woman in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
1.55 births per woman
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
143rd
of 215 countries
All-time high
5.04 births per woman
in 1970
All-time low
1.55 births per woman
in 2022
Years of data
54
1970–2023
Fertility rate, total in Malaysia, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in births per woman.
Analysis
The most recent figure for fertility rate, total in Malaysia is 1.55 births per woman, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 54 years on record.
That represents a change of down 25.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate, total in Malaysia peaked at 5.04 births per woman in 1970 and was at its lowest, 1.55 births per woman, in 2022.
Malaysia ranks 143rd of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 54 years of available data.
Fertility rate, total (births per woman) (UNESCO Institute) in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 5.04 births per woman | — |
| 1971 | 4.92 births per woman | -2.2% |
| 1972 | 4.82 births per woman | -2.1% |
| 1973 | 4.73 births per woman | -2.0% |
| 1974 | 4.62 births per woman | -2.3% |
| 1975 | 4.5 births per woman | -2.6% |
| 1976 | 4.4 births per woman | -2.3% |
| 1977 | 4.28 births per woman | -2.6% |
| 1978 | 4.18 births per woman | -2.4% |
| 1979 | 4.09 births per woman | -2.1% |
| 1980 | 4.04 births per woman | -1.4% |
| 1981 | 4 births per woman | -0.8% |
| 1982 | 3.97 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1983 | 3.93 births per woman | -1.0% |
| 1984 | 3.88 births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1985 | 3.8 births per woman | -2.1% |
| 1986 | 3.7 births per woman | -2.8% |
| 1987 | 3.56 births per woman | -3.6% |
| 1988 | 3.5 births per woman | -1.8% |
| 1989 | 3.31 births per woman | -5.4% |
| 1990 | 3.3 births per woman | -0.3% |
| 1991 | 3.34 births per woman | +1.1% |
| 1992 | 3.37 births per woman | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 3.36 births per woman | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 3.35 births per woman | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 3.32 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 3.3 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 3.23 births per woman | -2.1% |
| 1998 | 3.12 births per woman | -3.3% |
| 1999 | 3.07 births per woman | -1.7% |
| 2000 | 2.94 births per woman | -4.1% |
| 2001 | 2.81 births per woman | -4.6% |
| 2002 | 2.66 births per woman | -5.3% |
| 2003 | 2.6 births per woman | -2.1% |
| 2004 | 2.49 births per woman | -4.2% |
| 2005 | 2.39 births per woman | -4.1% |
| 2006 | 2.31 births per woman | -3.5% |
| 2007 | 2.25 births per woman | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 2.26 births per woman | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 2.22 births per woman | -1.7% |
| 2010 | 2.14 births per woman | -3.6% |
| 2011 | 2.15 births per woman | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 2.12 births per woman | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 2.07 births per woman | -2.2% |
| 2014 | 2.06 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 2.01 births per woman | -2.4% |
| 2016 | 1.94 births per woman | -3.3% |
| 2017 | 1.89 births per woman | -2.5% |
| 2018 | 1.84 births per woman | -2.9% |
| 2019 | 1.78 births per woman | -3.3% |
| 2020 | 1.68 births per woman | -5.5% |
| 2021 | 1.55 births per woman | -7.4% |
| 2022 | 1.55 births per woman | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 1.55 births per woman | +0.0% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 1.55 births per woman is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.86 births per woman, 83% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 1.55 births per woman is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2.13 births per woman, 73% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.56 births per woman | 4.09 births per woman | 5.04 births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.77 births per woman | 3.31 births per woman | 4.04 births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.28 births per woman | 3.07 births per woman | 3.37 births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.49 births per woman | 2.22 births per woman | 2.94 births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 2 births per woman | 1.78 births per woman | 2.15 births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.58 births per woman | 1.55 births per woman | 1.68 births per woman | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
- 140 Maldives 1.57 births per woman compare
- 141 United Kingdom 1.56 births per woman compare
- 141 New Zealand 1.56 births per woman compare
- 143 Azerbaijan 1.55 births per woman compare
- 145 Isle of Man 1.55 births per woman compare
- 146 Trinidad and Tobago 1.53 births per woman compare
More population data for Malaysia
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.2671 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -5.88 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.2671 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.2686 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 41,032 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.8625 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.1472 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.278 (2100)
- Population density 134 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 1.91 million (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate, total in Malaysia?
- Fertility rate, total in Malaysia was 1.55 births per woman in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest fertility rate, total recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 5.04 births per woman in 1970.
- What is the lowest fertility rate, total recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.55 births per woman in 2022.
- How does Malaysia rank for fertility rate, total?
- Malaysia ranks 143rd out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertility rate, total rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Fertility rate, total (births per woman). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release