Malaysia — Life expectancy
Life Expectancy at Birth for Malaysia, 1960–2024.
Life expectancy for Malaysia was 76.8 in 2024, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 65 years, from 1960 to 2024. The latest year is also the highest value on record for this series. The lowest was 57.2 in 1960 (about 1.3× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.46% per year.
Malaysia ranks 86 of 217 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 40%. The median for East Asia & Pacific is 73.0, so Malaysia sits above it. Over the last decade (2014–2024) the figure moved up 2%. Within East Asia & Pacific it ranks 13 of 37 economies; Thailand (76.6) is just below it.
Data highlights
Doubling roughly every 150 years at that pace.
World ranking. Climbed: 104th of 215 in 1960 → 93rd of 216 in 1970 → 88th of 216 in 1980 → 75th of 217 in 1990 → 81st of 217 in 2000 → 75th of 217 in 2010 → 77th of 217 in 2020 → 86th of 217 in 2024.
Key figures
Full history — 1960 to 2024
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 76.82 | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 76.66 | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 75.44 | +2.1% |
| 2021 | 73.92 | -2.8% |
| 2020 | 76.06 | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 75.9 | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 75.73 | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 75.54 | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 75.37 | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 75.29 | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 75.35 | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 75.46 | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 75.55 | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 75.49 | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 75.38 | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 75.27 | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 75.15 | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 74.96 | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 74.7 | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 74.37 | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 74.03 | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 73.73 | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 73.47 | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 73.08 | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 72.73 | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 72.43 | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 72.39 | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 72.3 | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 72.12 | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 71.98 | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 71.86 | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 71.72 | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 71.48 | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 71.22 | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 70.95 | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 70.76 | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 70.55 | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 70.35 | +0.3% |
| 1986 | 70.13 | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 69.86 | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 69.55 | +0.5% |
| 1983 | 69.21 | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 68.88 | +0.6% |
| 1981 | 68.46 | +0.6% |
| 1980 | 68.06 | +0.7% |
| 1979 | 67.61 | +0.7% |
| 1978 | 67.17 | +0.7% |
| 1977 | 66.72 | +0.7% |
| 1976 | 66.23 | +0.8% |
| 1975 | 65.7 | +0.8% |
| 1974 | 65.2 | +0.7% |
| 1973 | 64.72 | +0.8% |
| 1972 | 64.23 | +0.7% |
| 1971 | 63.77 | +0.7% |
| 1970 | 63.3 | +0.7% |
| 1969 | 62.87 | +0.7% |
| 1968 | 62.44 | +0.6% |
| 1967 | 62.04 | +0.6% |
| 1966 | 61.68 | +0.9% |
| 1965 | 61.14 | +1.2% |
| 1964 | 60.45 | +1.3% |
| 1963 | 59.67 | +1.4% |
| 1962 | 58.86 | +1.4% |
| 1961 | 58.02 | +1.5% |
| 1960 | 57.17 | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Malaysia’s Life expectancy in 1961?
58.02 (1961). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are Malaysia’s Life expectancy figures nominal or inflation-adjusted?
They are exactly as the World Bank publishes them — years — with no inflation restatement and no PPP conversion. Years the source does not report are omitted rather than interpolated.
Is Malaysia’s Life expectancy growing or shrinking?
Between 1960 and 2024 the series was growing overall: +34.4% in total — about 0.5% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SP.DYN.LE00.IN. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2024: 76.82; 2023: 76.66; 2022: 75.44; 2021: 73.92; 2020: 76.06. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SP.DYN.LE00.IN — Life Expectancy at Birth. Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.