KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 — Malaysia’s gender ratio is expected to widen this year with 107 males to every 100 females, according to the Statistics Department, higher than the world average of 101.8.
The Statistics Department said in a release yesterday that there would be an estimated 16.4 million males and 15.3 million females in 2016, totalling an estimated 31.7 million-strong population.
Malaysia’s gender ratio has been widening over the decades from 101 in 1980, to 103 in 1991, 104 in 2000 and 106 in 2010.
US daily The Washington Post reported last August that according to United Nations’ 2015 estimates, there were 101.8 men to every 100 women around the world.
The report said the majority of countries have more women than men, but high-population nations like China and India, both of which reportedly have female infanticide and sex-selective abortions, see men outnumbering women at 106.3 and 107.6 respectively.
The Statistics Department also said yesterday that the median age of the Malaysian population is estimated this year to be 28 years, up from 27.6 last year and 27.3 in 2014. The working age group aged between 15 and 64 and the population aged 65 years and above are both estimated to increase by 0.2 percentage points this year compared to 2015.
Foreigners are estimated to comprise 10.3 per cent of the population.
Bumiputera ethnic groups are estimated to make up 68.6 per cent of the population, followed by the Chinese (23.4 per cent), Indians (7 per cent), and others (1 per cent).
Selangor is expected to see the highest percentage of the population this year at 19.9 per cent, followed by Sabah (12 per cent) and Johor (11.5 per cent).
