PUTRAJAYA, Oct 15 — Malaysia recorded a 4.5 per cent decline in live births in 2025, while the total fertility rate (TFR) fell to 1.5 children per woman, reflecting a continued downward trend in the country's birth rate.
According to the Vital Statistics, Malaysia, 2026 report released by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) today, 396,175 live births were recorded last year, down 18,743 from 414,918 in 2024.
The crude birth rate (CBR) also recorded a decrease from 12.2 births in 2024 to 11.6 births per 1,000 population in 2025.
“CBR for all major ethnic groups recorded a decrease in 2025 as compared to 2024. Malays recorded the highest CBR with 14.9 births, while Chinese remained to record the lowest CBR with 5.0 births per 1,000 population in 2025,” DOSM said in a statement.
