Declining Birth Rates, Growing Ageing Population

KUALA LUMPUR, July 3 (Bernama) -- While the reproductive health of Malaysians must be improved to overcome declining birth rates, steps must be taken to deal with the impact of a growing ageing population.
National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) consultant Dr Abdul Majid Mat Salleh said population birth rates in the country had been declining since 1957 with no sign of improving.
He said LPPKN statistics showed that in 1957, the average crude birth rate in Malaysia was 6.7 children per woman, but it declined to 3 children per woman in 2000.
According to race, the Malays were the most fertile ethnic group in 2000 with an average crude birth rate of 3.5 children per woman compared with 2.5 among the Chinese and 2.4 among Indians.
Dr Abdul Majid said the scenario was different 50 years ago when the Malays were the most infertile with an average crude birth rate of 6 children per woman, which was lower than the Chinese at 7.3 and Indians at 8.
"We need to give more attention to this issue while the number of elderly in the country is rapidly increasing," he said in his paper entitled "Population of Malaysia: 50 Years of Change" at the National Population Conference 2007 here.
He said the number of people aged 60 years and above was expected to increase from about six per cent of the population in 1995 to more than seven per cent by 2010.
"This is a rising trend and as early as 2030, 12 per cent of the country's population will constitute the aged.
"If the birth rates do not increase from now, the country will face a shortage of people in the working age group by 2030," he added.
However, he said, the increasing ageing population would not become a major problem to the country because they would continue to contribute to its development through their expertise and experience.

tunku : there are reasons why nowadays the birth rates declining, most of all is about the MONEY. our expenses are so high nowadays, the cost of education is no longer cheap and every parents want the best for their children.not everyone can afford it if they think the best for their children.only those rich people can afford it. nowadays most of the parents are working, so its quite difficult to take care of children unless you have maid(another big problem).the other reason would be woman want to keep their figure, so they do not tend to give birth to many children.for me lets have qualities than quantities.