PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia recorded a 4.5% 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 statistics department, 396,175 live births were recorded last year, down 18,743 from 414,918 in 2024.
The crude birth rate (CBR) also decreased from 12.2 births in 2024 to 11.6 births per 1,000 population in 2025.
"The CBR for all major ethnic groups decreased in 2025 compared with 2024. The Malays recorded the highest CBR with 14.9 births, while the Chinese continued to record the lowest CBR with five births per 1,000 population in 2025," the department said in a statement.
All states recorded lower birth rates in 2025, with Terengganu recording the highest CBR at 18.7 births and Penang recording the lowest at 9.3 births per 1,000 population.
According to the report, the country's TFR fell from 1.6 children per woman in 2024 to 1.5 in 2025.
The Malays continued to record the highest TFR with 1.9 children per woman aged 15-49 years. The rate for Indians remained unchanged at 1.1 children, while the Chinese recorded the lowest rate, declining from 0.9 children to 0.7 children in 2025.
At the state level, Terengganu recorded the highest TFR at 2.5 children in 2025, followed by Kelantan (2.3) and Pahang (1.8). In contrast, Penang recorded the lowest TFR at 1.1 children, declining from 1.2 children in 2024.
The number of deaths increased by 0.4% (815 deaths) from 198,992 deaths in 2024 to 199,807 deaths in 2025. The crude death rate (CDR) remained unchanged at 5.8 deaths per 1,000 population in 2025.
Indians recorded the highest CDR at 8.2 deaths while other Bumiputeras recorded the lowest CDR at 5.7 deaths in 2025. The CDR for the Chinese decreased from 7.6 in 2024 to 7.5 last year.
At the state level, Perak recorded the highest CDR at 8.2 deaths, while Putrajaya recorded the lowest CDR at 2.6 deaths per 1,000 population.