Life expectancy at birth in Malaysia
Malaysia: Life expectancy at birth was 72.81 in 2021. ▬ Flat
Latest (2021)
72.81
Change on year
down 5.2%
World rank
82nd
of 184 countries
All-time high
76.79
in 2020
All-time low
72.81
in 2021
Years of data
22
2000–2021
Life expectancy at birth in Malaysia, 2000–2021
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
The most recent figure for life expectancy at birth in Malaysia is 72.81, measured in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 22 years on record.
That represents a change of down 5.2% on the previous year and down 1.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth in Malaysia peaked at 76.79 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 72.81, in 2021.
That places Malaysia 82nd out of 184 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
Life expectancy at birth in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 73.01 | — |
| 2001 | 73.52 | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 73.78 | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 73.62 | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 73.82 | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 74.06 | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 74.3 | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 74.44 | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 74.19 | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 74.01 | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 74.03 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 74.23 | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 74.62 | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 74.72 | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 74.65 | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 74.28 | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 74.42 | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 74.4 | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 74.53 | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 74.68 | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 76.79 | +2.8% |
| 2021 | 72.81 | -5.2% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 72.81 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 72.75, 1.0× the median. (54 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 72.81 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 70.19, 1.0× the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 73.88 | 73.01 | 74.44 | 10 |
| 2010s | 74.46 | 74.03 | 74.72 | 10 |
| 2020s | 74.8 | 72.81 | 76.79 | 2 |
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)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 18 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.7207 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0297 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.5991 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth in Malaysia?
- Life expectancy at birth in Malaysia was 72.81 in 2021, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 76.79 in 2020.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 72.81 in 2021.
- How does Malaysia rank for life expectancy at birth?
- Malaysia ranks 82nd out of 184 countries with data for 2021.
- Is life expectancy at birth rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Life expectancy at birth (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 22 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO).