Age dependency ratio in Malaysia
Malaysia: Age dependency ratio was 41.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Age dependency ratio in Malaysia, 1960–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in % of working-age population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for age dependency ratio in Malaysia is 41.5%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is down 0.9% on the previous year and down 9.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio in Malaysia peaked at 97.3% in 1964 and was at its lowest, 41.5%, in 2025.
Malaysia ranks 197th of 217 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Age dependency ratio in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 93.3% | — |
| 1961 | 94.8% | +1.6% |
| 1962 | 96.0% | +1.3% |
| 1963 | 96.9% | +0.9% |
| 1964 | 97.3% | +0.5% |
| 1965 | 97.0% | -0.4% |
| 1966 | 95.9% | -1.1% |
| 1967 | 94.5% | -1.4% |
| 1968 | 93.0% | -1.6% |
| 1969 | 91.4% | -1.8% |
| 1970 | 89.7% | -1.8% |
| 1971 | 88.0% | -1.9% |
| 1972 | 86.3% | -1.9% |
| 1973 | 84.6% | -1.9% |
| 1974 | 83.0% | -1.9% |
| 1975 | 81.4% | -2.0% |
| 1976 | 79.8% | -2.0% |
| 1977 | 78.2% | -2.0% |
| 1978 | 76.6% | -2.0% |
| 1979 | 75.2% | -1.8% |
| 1980 | 74.1% | -1.6% |
| 1981 | 73.2% | -1.2% |
| 1982 | 72.5% | -0.9% |
| 1983 | 72.0% | -0.7% |
| 1984 | 71.5% | -0.6% |
| 1985 | 71.2% | -0.4% |
| 1986 | 71.0% | -0.4% |
| 1987 | 70.7% | -0.4% |
| 1988 | 70.2% | -0.6% |
| 1989 | 69.6% | -0.8% |
| 1990 | 68.9% | -1.1% |
| 1991 | 68.0% | -1.3% |
| 1992 | 67.1% | -1.3% |
| 1993 | 66.3% | -1.2% |
| 1994 | 65.7% | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 65.1% | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 64.5% | -0.9% |
| 1997 | 64.0% | -0.9% |
| 1998 | 63.3% | -1.0% |
| 1999 | 62.5% | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 61.4% | -1.7% |
| 2001 | 60.3% | -1.8% |
| 2002 | 59.2% | -1.8% |
| 2003 | 58.1% | -1.9% |
| 2004 | 56.8% | -2.1% |
| 2005 | 55.5% | -2.3% |
| 2006 | 54.2% | -2.4% |
| 2007 | 52.9% | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 51.6% | -2.5% |
| 2009 | 50.2% | -2.6% |
| 2010 | 49.0% | -2.4% |
| 2011 | 48.1% | -1.8% |
| 2012 | 47.5% | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 47.0% | -1.2% |
| 2014 | 46.5% | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 46.0% | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 45.7% | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 45.5% | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 45.2% | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 44.8% | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 44.3% | -1.3% |
| 2021 | 43.6% | -1.6% |
| 2022 | 42.9% | -1.6% |
| 2023 | 42.3% | -1.3% |
| 2024 | 41.9% | -1.0% |
| 2025 | 41.5% | -0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 95.0% | 91.4% | 97.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 82.3% | 75.2% | 89.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 71.6% | 69.6% | 74.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 65.5% | 62.5% | 68.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 56.0% | 50.2% | 61.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 46.5% | 44.8% | 49.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 42.7% | 41.5% | 44.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More health data for Malaysia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.9119 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.2888 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,250 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 652 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate -0.9593 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.1032 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate -1.11 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.1099 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio in Malaysia?
- Age dependency ratio in Malaysia was 41.5% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 97.3% in 1964.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 41.5% in 2025.
- How does Malaysia rank for age dependency ratio?
- Malaysia ranks 197th out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Age dependency ratio (% of working-age population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Age dependency ratio is the ratio of dependents--people younger than 15 or older than 64--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population.