The result indicates that there will be at least 10.3% or 4.1m people aged 65 and above by 2030

by NUR HANANI AZMAN / pic by MUHD AMIN NAHARUL

THE increase in the number of senior citizens aged 65 and above based on the Key Findings Population and Housing Census of Malaysia 2020 (MyCensus 2020) Report will assist the country in formulating policies and preparing to face the situation of Malaysia as an ageing country.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Economy) Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said the census results showed 6.8% of Malaysia’s 32.4 million population aged 65 and above, up from 1.4 million people in 2010.

“This is an important finding in the context of the Malaysia Family becoming an ageing nation. By 2030, it is expected that senior citizens aged 65 and above would reach more than 10.3% or 4.1 million people.

“The issue of an ageing population is a global phenomenon and this will have an influence in terms of investment in health, education and housing,” he told a press conference after the launch of MyCensus 2020 Report by Prime Minister (PM) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob yesterday.

He said the ministry have completed the 2020 census report according to the parliamentary constituencies to be submitted to MPs, while the report for state assemblymen is still being processed.

“The report is important as it is good for the MPs to be informed of the profile of their respective constituencies when debating in the Parliament,” he said.

The total population of Malaysia in 2020 was 32.4 million compared to 27.5 million in 2010, MyCensus 2020 Report revealed.

Total households in Malaysia was 8.2 million in 2020, up 1.9 million or 2.6% growth from 6.35 million or 2.9% growth in 2010. Of the total 8.2 million households, 97.3% were private households.

Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri said MyCensus 2020 Report is the best platform to mainstream sustainable development in the country and increase its competitiveness at the international level.

He said the findings were very much needed so that the government could formulate targeted policies and distribute the country’s wealth, also would be used as an evidence-based decision-making input in determining the per capita grants, key policy formulation and benchmark in measuring the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

“The statistics on the population and housing census can give a true picture of the current population in Malaysia, including the size, distribution, composition and the socio-economic characteristics of the population and housing.

“This is how the government can channel aid finance to deserving and needy citizens such as addressing the income and wealth gaps of the people which is widening, eradicating poverty and managing the bottom 40% income group, including the vulnerable economy and the marginalised,” he said in his speech.

With the findings, the government can provide the best input in laying the direction of the nation in the future.

“As an upper middle-income country by the composition of the younger generation and the large students in society, the government will also focus on the provision of a young generation that can overcome the challenges of IR4.0.

“By strengthening school and university education curricula with a holistic education system, as well as implementing various initiatives to improve assessment skills and analytics based on data and science,” the PM said.