Malaysian Population and Family Survey (MPFS 6) 2024

The Sixth Malaysian Population and Family Survey (MPFS-6) 2024, represents the sixth series of LPPKN’s long-standing national survey on population and family development. Continuing a research legacy that began in 1974, MPFS-6 reflects LPPKN’s continued commitment to generating reliable, nationally representative and time-series data on Malaysia’s population, family, reproductive health and socio-economic development. As the latest series in the Malaysian Population and Family Survey, MPFS-6 builds upon five previous surveys conducted in 1974, 1984/85, 1994, 2004 and 2014. It provides updated evidence to understand how Malaysian families and communities are changing in the context of demographic transition, evolving family structures, reproductive health needs, ageing, youth aspirations, social well-being and socio-economic realities. MPFS-6 is particularly important as Malaysia continues to face major population and family-related shifts, including declining fertility, changing marriage patterns, population ageing, new forms of social vulnerability and growing concerns related to mental well-being, loneliness, safety and family resilience. Through this survey, LPPKN aims to strengthen the national evidence base for more responsive policies, programmes and interventions.

Objectives

The main objective of MPFS-6 is to provide the latest data and time-series information related to population, family, reproductive health and the socio-economic characteristics of the Malaysian population. More specifically, MPFS-6 aims to:

• Update key population and family indicators from previous MPFS series;
• Generate nationally representative evidence on demographic, family and reproductive health trends;
• Capture emerging issues affecting Malaysian families, adolescents, older persons, single adults and ever-married individuals;
• Support evidence-based policy formulation, programme planning and intervention development;-
• Strengthen LPPKN’s role as a national reference point for population and family research; and
• Provide data that can be used for policy papers, parliamentary responses, modules, programmes, further research, seminars, data hubs, international references and media

MPFS-6 is a cross-sectional and nationally representative survey covering Malaysian citizen households living in selected private living quarters throughout Malaysia. MPFS-6 covers five main respondent groups:

• Ever-married women aged 15–59 years;
• Ever-married men aged 15–59 years;-
• Never-married adolescents aged 13–24 years;
• Older persons aged 60 years and above
• Single adults aged 25–59 years.

A total of approximately 37,550 selected living quarters were targeted nationwide. The MPFS-6 pamphlet also presents the national coverage as around 37,000 selected living quarters, with an estimated 37,557 living quarters across urban and rural areas. These figures reflect the scale of MPFS-6 as one of LPPKN’s major national data collection exercises.

Data Collection

Data collection for MPFS-6 is conducted through face-to-face interviews using digital questionnaires via Computer-Assisted Personal Interviews, also known as CAPI. The pamphlet indicates that fieldwork was conducted from August 2024 until February 2025.

Key Outputs and Expected Contributions

MPFS-6 is expected to produce updated national findings on Malaysia’s population and family development. The survey will serve as a major reference for understanding demographic change, family well-being, reproductive health, adolescent aspirations, ageing, singlehood, socio-economic conditions and emerging social issues. The findings are expected to support the development of evidence-based policies, programmes and interventions at national and state levels. They will also contribute to LPPKN’s work in preparing policy inputs, parliamentary responses, research publications, modules, advocacy materials, seminars, data hubs and international reference materials.

As the sixth series in the MPFS journey, the survey will also strengthen Malaysia’s long-term population and family time-series database. This is important for tracking changes across generations and for understanding how family needs, reproductive decisions, social support systems and well-being have evolved over time. MPFS-6 represents a major milestone in LPPKN’s population research agenda. It continues the legacy of evidence-based population and family research while expanding the scope of inquiry to address new realities facing Malaysian families. Through MPFS-6, LPPKN reinforces its role as a leading national institution in generating data, insights and policy-relevant knowledge for the future of families in Malaysia.