More elderly people in Malaysia
Thursday, July 5, 2007
WHILE the productive 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 diffferent 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.
Meanwhile, global sex survey says that women in Asian countries lose their virginity at a much older age than those in the West. The worldwide study of sexual behaviour and contraceptive use was published yesterday.
On average, age for first having sex was 19.25. Malaysians were the oldest to lost their virginity at 23.0 years old, followed by Indians (22.9) Singaporeans (22.8), Chinese (22.1), Thais (20.5), Hong Kongers (20.2), Nigerians (19.7) and Japanese (19.4).
Austrians were the first to lose their virginity at 17.3 years old, followed by Brazilians (17.4), Germans (17.6), New Zealanders (17.8), Australians (17.9) and Americans (18.0).
Malaysians came top among those the most ready for sex (41.5 percent), followed by the Dutch, Greeks, Americans, and Australians.Japanese, Nigerians, Thais were the least ready for first sexual experience. Bernama-AFP
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 diffferent 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.
Meanwhile, global sex survey says that women in Asian countries lose their virginity at a much older age than those in the West. The worldwide study of sexual behaviour and contraceptive use was published yesterday.
On average, age for first having sex was 19.25. Malaysians were the oldest to lost their virginity at 23.0 years old, followed by Indians (22.9) Singaporeans (22.8), Chinese (22.1), Thais (20.5), Hong Kongers (20.2), Nigerians (19.7) and Japanese (19.4).
Austrians were the first to lose their virginity at 17.3 years old, followed by Brazilians (17.4), Germans (17.6), New Zealanders (17.8), Australians (17.9) and Americans (18.0).
Malaysians came top among those the most ready for sex (41.5 percent), followed by the Dutch, Greeks, Americans, and Australians.Japanese, Nigerians, Thais were the least ready for first sexual experience. Bernama-AFP
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