Malaysia has healthy birth rate, says lecturer

(The Star)
Friday January 22, 2010
KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 516,645 babies were born in Malaysia last year, an increase of 3.9% or 20,231 from 2008.

Selangor continued to record the highest birth rate with 80,110 babies, followed by Sabah (60,190) and Johor (58,597), according to the National Registration De­part­ment.

In 2008, Selangor was ahead with 76,932 births, Johor 58,517 and Sabah 51,773.

A total of 129,922 deaths were reported last year compared with 123,335 in 2008, an increase of 5% or 6,587.

Selangor also recorded the highest number of deaths at 16,494, followed by Johor (15,749) and Perak (15,467).

According to the Department of Statistics, Malaysia’s population in 2007 was 27.17 million. It increased to 27.73 million in 2008 and is believed to have reached 28.31 million last year.

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia lecturer Marshitah Mohd Radzi said Malaysia had been having a healthy birth rate for the past 10 years.

She said that based on the National Population Policy of 1985, the population is expected to grow to 70 million people by 2100. — Bernama