Families in this country are not able to achieve full aspiration on the number of children desired by a family.
Based on the Fifth Malaysia Population and Family Survey (MPFS-5), on average, mothers in this country wanted 4 children in their families. However, in reality, most of them only had between 2 to 3 children. Among the main factors that prevent families in this country to achieve their desired family size, namely:
i. Financial situation- 65% of the married population stated that they want to have more children if financial is not an issue.
ii. Late marriage- The population is now getting married in the late 20s, compared to the early 20’s in the 1980s. Delay in marriage will shorten the couple’s fertility period.
iii. Difficult to find a spouse- 36% of women stated that difficulty to find a compatible partner is the main reason they are not married, while only 18% of men said so.
iv. Subfertility- 37% of women in the country are having problems getting pregnant despite being actively trying to get pregnant for at least 1 year.
