The Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) has released its publication on Abridged Life Tables for the years 2022-2024, providing key insights into life expectancy across various demographics at both national and state levels.
According to Dato’ Sri Dr. Mohd Uzir Mahidin, Chief Statistician Malaysia, “A baby born in 2024 on average is expected to live until 75.2 years. On average, a baby girl born is expected to live up until 77.8 years, 4.8 years longer than a baby boy at 73.0 years.” The report reveals that Selangor recorded the highest life expectancy at birth for both males and females during this period, while Terengganu marked the lowest.
The publication further indicates that Petaling, Selangor boasts the highest life expectancy for 2024 at 80.2 years, with Samarahan, Sarawak showing impressive figures of 79.6 years in 2023 and 79.5 years in 2022. Conversely, Kuala Penyu, Sabah has the lowest life expectancy at birth for the period of 2022-2024.
In total, 31 out of 156 districts surpassed the national life expectancy level. Notably, males in Samarahan can expect to live for 79.6 years, while females in Petaling are expected to live 82.1 years.
The report also highlights life expectancy trends over the years. From 2014 to 2019, life expectancy increased by 0.3 years, with males rising by 0.1 years and females by 0.4 years. However, between 2020 and 2022, there was a decline of 0.9 years, attributed to excess deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic. Encouragingly, life expectancy has rebounded, with an increase of 1.2 years expected in 2023 and 2024, linked to a lower number of deaths in those years.
In terms of specific age groups, males reaching 15 and 60 years in 2024 are expected to live for another 58.8 years and 18.6 years, respectively. This implies a life expectancy of 73.8 years for 15-year-old males and 78.6 years for those aged 60. For females in the same age brackets, the figures are 63.4 years and 21.4 years, leading to life expectancies of 78.4 years and 81.4 years, respectively.
Dato’ Sri Dr. Mohd Uzir Mahidin also noted, “Chinese continues to register the highest life expectancy at birth in the year 2024, i.e. 77.1 years. In contrast, the lowest life expectancy at birth is recorded by Indians with 71.7 years for the same year.”
This publication features an article on Health-Adjusted Life Expectancy (HALE) at birth, which examines the balance between lifespan and healthspan. From 2017 to 2021, Malaysia experienced a decrease of 0.4 years in life expectancy at birth for both sexes, dropping from 74.4 years to 74.0 years. The HALE for both genders also fell, indicating that the burden of disease significantly impacts life expectancy.
