KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia could have an ageing population with a predominantly older demographic by 2030 if the nation's birth rate continues to decline annually, warned a health expert.
Professor Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh said the insufficient young population will have repercussions on the labour force in the near future.
"There may not be an adequate workforce to sustain… necessitating labour recruitment from outside," she said.
She said such a situation is likely unless improved policies are implemented to support working women and young families, such as offering free preschool education and healthcare.
"However, it is unlikely that the fertility rate will return to the levels seen in the 1980s," she told New Straits Times.
The birth rate for Malaysia between 2011 and 2021 showed a declining trend, with the number of births per 1,000 population decreasing over this period.
Meanwhile, the fertility rate of women 15-49 years old in 1970 is 4.9 babies, while in 2021, the fertility rate fell to 1.7 only
On Nov 7, the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) revealed that the number of live births in Malaysia decreased by 2.8 per cent in this year's third quarter (Q3) to 110,354 from 113,506 births in the corresponding year.
Sharifa Ezat said that these declining trends could be attributed to the country's need for increased female participation in workforce development.
"As financial constraints increase due to inflation and the growing pressures of the environment and work, more families allocate fewer resources to their households and children.
"The cost of children's education is also on the rise. More children mean more expenses for food, schooling, and education. Consequently, people are thinking it's better to have smaller families.
"Other factors that could contribute to sub-fertility include chronic stress, smoking, obesity, alcohol consumption, conceiving at an older age, or malnutrition," she stated.
She observed that the declining fertility rate in Malaysia is in line with global data.
"This aligns with the global trend of decreasing female fertility rates. Women are postponing fertility and reducing the number of children they have."