KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 17 — The total fertility rate for the year 2022 has reached the lowest in 50 years, standing at 1.6 children per woman aged 15 to 49 compared to 1.7 children recorded in 2021, said the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DoSM).

Chief statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin said this marks the lowest fertility rate in Malaysia in 50 years, contrasting with 4.9 children per woman in 1970.

"From 1970 up to 2012, the national total fertility rate was still above the replacement level of 2.1 children, which indicates that the average number of children born per woman throughout her reproductive life has been sufficient to replace herself and her partner.

"However, since 2013, the total fertility rate has dipped below this replacement level, signifying a potential demographic crisis that could lead to issues such as population decline, an ageing populace, and socio-economic implications," he said in a statement today.

The report further revealed a declining trend in the total fertility rate across all major ethnic groups in Malaysia from 2011 to 2022.

"Malays recorded the highest TFR at 2.1 children per woman, while Chinese reported the lowest at 0.8 children.

At the state level, only Terengganu (2.9 children), Kelantan (2.7 children), and Pahang (2.1 children) had total fertility rate above the replacement level," he said.

He also said that this trend is not unique to Malaysia, as several developed countries like the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Japan, and the Republic of Korea have witnessed declining fertility rates below the replacement level.

ASEAN countries, including Vietnam, Brunei Darussalam, Thailand, and Singapore, share similar observations, said Mohd Uzir.

"In contrast, the Philippines, Lao PDR, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Myanmar have total fertility rates above the replacement level.

"France and the United Kingdom have proactively addressed declining total fertility rate by strategically increasing migration to bolster their population and labour force, aiming to mitigate potential economic and demographic challenges associated with falling fertility rates, including an ageing population and labour shortages," he said.

Mohd Izir added that in 2022, the number of live births totalled 423,124, a decrease of 3.8 per cent compared to 2021.

He said that more male newborns were recorded than females, with 218,345 and 204,779, respectively.

"This decline contributed to the decrease in the crude birth rate from 13.5 births per thousand population in 2021 to 12.9 in 2022.

"While most states saw a decrease in the crude birth rate in 2022, Sabah showed an increase from 12.2 births per thousand population in 2021 to 12.8 in 2022.

"At the district level, Song, Sarawak, and Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, recorded the highest CBR in 2022 at 24.3 births per thousand population, while Kinabatangan, Sabah, had the lowest rate at 4.6 births," he said.

According to the World Health Organisation, the crude birth rate is the ratio between the number of live births in a population during a given year and the total mid-year population for the same year.

In terms of mortality, the report saw a decrease of 8.0 per cent (18,044 deaths) in 2022 compared to 2021, following the Covid-19 pandemic.

"The crude death rate also decreased from 6.9 in 2021 to 6.3 deaths per thousand population in 2022.

"Male deaths accounted for 57 per cent of the total deaths, while female deaths constituted 43 per cent," he said.

He also said that the age group 0 to 14 years saw an increase in deaths from 4,115 in 2021 to 4,754 in 2022.

"Meanwhile, the 41 to 59-year age group recorded the highest decrease of 20.4 per cent, with deaths dropping from 52,282 in 2021 to 41,640 in 2022," said Mohd Uzir.