Longevity and Diversity: Life Expectancy Trends in Malaysia Across Ethnicities and Genders

Abstract

Malaysia has undergone a demographic transition associated with economic development. One of the factors that contributes to this transition is increased longevity. Thus, this study aims to examine trends and differences in life expectancy by ethnicities, genders and states in Malaysia from 1991 to 2020 using trend analysis. This study uses secondary data obtained from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM). The findings show that between 2000 and 2020, the life expectancy of males and females in Malaysia had lengthened by almost 3 years from 70.0 to 72.6 and 74.6 to 77.6 respectively. It is also found that the Chinesehave a higher life expectancy compared to other ethnic groups for both sexes. Indian males have a life expectancy of less than 70 years throughout the years, while females show a tremendous improvement, with a 5-year increase from 71.2 in 1991 to 76.2 in 2020. The Bumiputera life expectancy reached 71.3 years and 76.1 years in 2020 for male and female, respectively. The successive improvements in life expectancy are evidence of an increasingly health-conscious community, a stable political administration committed to better health care and Malaysia’s economic wealth.