Life Expectancy in Malaysia (2024): Men 74.4, Women 79.5

Life expectancy in Malaysia since 1960

Women
Men

Since 1960, life expectancy in Malaysia has risen by 19.6 years, from 57.2 to 76.8. During the COVID-19 pandemic it fell by 2.0 years (from 75.9 in 2019 to 73.9 in 2021) and has since recovered. Women live 5.1 years longer than men (79.5 vs 74.4).

Expected age at death in Malaysia by age

Life expectancy at birth includes deaths in childhood. Once people reach adulthood they can expect to live longer — here is the average expected age at death for people who have already reached each age:

Current age	Birth	20	40	60	80
Men	74.4	75.5	76.4	78.7	86.1
Women	79.5	80.7	81.5	83.1	88.7

Birth: World Bank. Other ages: our survival model calibrated to Malaysia’s figures (method).

How people die in Malaysia

Chronic diseases: 75.9%
Infections, maternal & nutritional: 16.2%
Injuries: 7.9%

In 2019, 76% of deaths in Malaysia were caused by chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes (world: 74%). A Malaysia man has a 24% chance and a woman 16% of dying of one of these diseases between the ages of 30 and 70 (world: 21% and 16%). Road traffic accidents kill 22.5 people per 100,000 each year (world: 16.7).

See which causes of death are most likely for you →

Child mortality

Out of every 1,000 babies born in Malaysia, about 8.3 die before their fifth birthday (world: 37.4). This is one of the main reasons life expectancy at birth differs so much between countries.

Malaysia compared with its region

Malaysia is in the World Bank’s East Asia & Pacific region, where the average life expectancy is 74.1 years. It ranks #13 of 37 countries there.

#	Country	Overall	Men	Women
9	New Caledonia	78.9	76.5	81.4
10	Northern Mariana Islands	78.9	77.3	80.9
11	China	78.0	75.2	81.0
12	Guam	77.4	73.7	81.6
13	Malaysia	76.8	74.4	79.5
14	Thailand	76.6	72.3	81.0
15	Brunei	75.5	73.5	77.7
16	Vietnam	74.7	70.1	79.4
17	North Korea	73.7	71.6	75.9

See all 217 countries ranked →

Frequently asked questions

What is the life expectancy in Malaysia?

76.8 years in 2024: 74.4 for men and 79.5 for women, according to the World Bank.

Do women live longer than men in Malaysia?

Yes. Women in Malaysia live about 5.1 years longer than men. Worldwide the gap is 4.9 years in favour of women.

How does Malaysia rank for life expectancy?

Malaysia ranks #86 out of 217 countries and territories with data. That is 3.3 years above the world average of 73.5.

What is the average age of death in Malaysia?

Life expectancy at birth (76.8) is pulled down by deaths in childhood. Adults live longer: a 40-year-old man in Malaysia can expect to live to about 76.4, and a 40-year-old woman to about 81.5.

Sources

World Bank, World Development Indicators: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.MA.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.FE.IN), under-5 mortality (SH.DYN.MORT), causes of death (SH.DTH.NCOM.ZS, SH.DTH.INJR.ZS), mortality from major chronic diseases (SH.DYN.NCOM.MA.ZS, SH.DYN.NCOM.FE.ZS) and road traffic deaths (SH.STA.TRAF.P5). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Link

Data updated October 25, 2026.