Business : Babies Born In 2026 Expected To Live Until 75.5 On Average - DOSM

According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), a baby born in 2026 is projected to live up to 75.5 years. The Abridged Life Tables, released today, indicate that baby girls are expected to live an average of 78.1 years, four and a half years longer than baby boys, who are predicted to live until 73.2 years. Selangor topped the list of states with the highest life expectancy at birth for both genders in 2024 to 2026, while Terengganu had the lowest.

In 2026, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, and Labuan exceeded the national average life expectancy at birth of 75.5 years, with Selangor reaching 78.2 years, Kuala Lumpur at 77.3 years, and Labuan at 77.0 years.

The increase in life expectancy from 2019 to 2026 was attributed to a lower number of deaths compared to the 2020 to 2022 period, which was primarily due to excess deaths during the Covid-19 pandemic. For instance, males aged 15 and 60 years in 2026 are expected to live until 74.0 and 78.9 years, respectively, while females of the same age groups are projected to live until 78.7 and 81.7 years.