Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) in Malaysia
Malaysia: Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) was 76.66 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
76.66 years
Change on year
up 1.6%
World rank
85th
of 215 countries
All-time high
76.66 years
in 2023
All-time low
63.3 years
in 1970
Years of data
54
1970–2023
Life expectancy at birth, total in Malaysia, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2023, life expectancy at birth, total in Malaysia stood at 76.66 years. That is the highest value across all 54 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth, total in Malaysia peaked at 76.66 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 63.3 years, in 1970.
That places Malaysia 85th out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 54 years of available data.
Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 63.3 years | — |
| 1971 | 63.77 years | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 64.23 years | +0.7% |
| 1973 | 64.72 years | +0.8% |
| 1974 | 65.2 years | +0.7% |
| 1975 | 65.7 years | +0.8% |
| 1976 | 66.23 years | +0.8% |
| 1977 | 66.72 years | +0.7% |
| 1978 | 67.17 years | +0.7% |
| 1979 | 67.61 years | +0.7% |
| 1980 | 68.06 years | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 68.46 years | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 68.88 years | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 69.2 years | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 69.55 years | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 69.86 years | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 70.13 years | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 70.35 years | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 70.55 years | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 70.76 years | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 70.95 years | +0.3% |
| 1991 | 71.22 years | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 71.48 years | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 71.72 years | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 71.86 years | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 71.98 years | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 72.12 years | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 72.3 years | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 72.39 years | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 72.43 years | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 72.73 years | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 73.08 years | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 73.47 years | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 73.73 years | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 74.03 years | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 74.37 years | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 74.7 years | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 74.96 years | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 75.15 years | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 75.27 years | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 75.38 years | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 75.49 years | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 75.55 years | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 75.46 years | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 75.34 years | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 75.29 years | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 75.37 years | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 75.54 years | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 75.73 years | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 75.9 years | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 76.06 years | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 73.92 years | -2.8% |
| 2022 | 75.44 years | +2.1% |
| 2023 | 76.66 years | +1.6% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 76.66 years is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 74.01 years, 1.0× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 76.66 years is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 72.85 years, 1.1× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 65.47 years | 63.3 years | 67.61 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 69.58 years | 68.06 years | 70.76 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 71.84 years | 70.95 years | 72.43 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 74.15 years | 72.73 years | 75.27 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 75.51 years | 75.29 years | 75.9 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 75.52 years | 73.92 years | 76.66 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
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 life expectancy at birth, total in Malaysia?
- Life expectancy at birth, total in Malaysia was 76.66 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 76.66 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 63.3 years in 1970.
- How does Malaysia rank for life expectancy at birth, total?
- Malaysia ranks 85th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy at birth, total rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Life expectancy at birth, total (years). 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