25/05/2025

ON SUNDAY MAY 25, 2025 X theSunday Special

15 years of change: How Malaysia’s getting older, one state at a time M ALAYSIA is getting older and faster. As of last year, nearly 12% of the popula tion or around 3.9 million people, were aged 60 and

BY KAY RAMA

the past 15 years. However, in some places, the number of citizens aged 60 and above has increased much faster than in others. To note, when we say a state is “growing fastest,” we don’t just mean it has the most seniors. The elderly population has increased quickly over time (in this case, over 15 years). For example, if a state had 100 seniors and now has 300, that’s a 200% increase. Even if the total is still small, it would top our list. • Selangor saw the largest increase in both total number and speed, from 300,000 to 834,000, adding 533,000 seniors; a jump of 178% . • Labuan recorded the second-fastest percentage growth, with its elderly population rising 173% , from 3,000 to 8,200. • Sabah’s senior population more than doubled, climbing 132% from 139,000 to 315,000.

above. By 2040, that share is expected to exceed 17%, crossing the threshold into “aged nation” status, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM). But this silver shift isn’t happening evenly. Some states are ageing quicker than others, both in sheer numbers and in speed. A close look at DOSM’s latest data reveals which parts of the country are ageing the fastest, where pressure on infrastructure is rising and where youth still reign. Where the elderly are growing fastest (2009–2024) Every state in Malaysia has seen an in crease in the number of elderly people over

Sabah stands out as Malaysia’s youngest state, with nearly 65% of its population under the age of 30.