Babies born in 2026 to live until 75.5 on average, says statistics dept

Babies born in 2026 are expected to live until the age of 75.5, according to the statistics department.

Citing its Abridged Life Tables Malaysia 2024-2026 report, the department said a baby girl is expected to live for 78.1 years on average, 4.9 years longer than a baby boy, whose life expectancy is 73.2 years.

“The highest life expectancy at birth for males and females by state from 2024 to 2026 was recorded in Selangor, while the lowest was recorded in Terengganu.

“Three states exceeded the national life expectancy of 75.5 years in 2026, namely Selangor (78.2 years), Kuala Lumpur (77.3 years) and Labuan (77.0 years),” it was quoted as saying by Bernama today.

The department said life expectancy at birth in 2019 rose 0.4 years from 2016, with male life expectancy increasing from 72.1 to 72.5 years and female life expectancy rising by 0.4 years.

“However, in 2022, life expectancy at birth decreased by 0.9 years, with male life expectancy falling by one year and female life expectancy falling by 0.8 years compared with 2020. In 2026, life expectancy at birth increased by 1.5 years compared with 2023.

“The increase in life expectancy is due to the lower number of deaths from 2023 to 2026 compared with the 2020 to 2022 period, which was attributed to excess deaths during the Covid-19 pandemic,” it said.

The department said males aged 15 and 60 in 2026 are expected to live another 59 years and 18.9 years, respectively.

“Males aged 15 and 60 in 2026 are expected to live until the ages of 74 and 78.9 years, respectively.

“Females in the same age groups are expected to live for another 63.7 years and 21.7 years, with life expectancies of 78.7 years and 81.7 years, respectively,” it said.