In 1984, Malaysia promulgated a new population policy, with a target of achieving a population size that would ultimately reach 70 million in the year 2100. Under the new policy, a more gradual decline in fertility is envisaged. The total fertility rate was targeted to decline gradually by 0.1 every 5 years. Subsequently, greater emphasis has been placed on family development and family wellbeing. Nevertheless, with socio economic development, the fertility level has been falling more rapidly than the “recommended” rate of decline. Between 1991 and 2000, the total fertility rate fell from 3.4 to 2.9 per woman, and it is projected to reach replacement level by 2015.
The crude birth rate (CBR) is continuing its downward trend from the previous decades Between 1991 and 2003, the CBR for the country as a whole declined by 22.6 per cent from 27.9 to 21.6 per thousand population.
The fertility level has declined for all age groups. Generally, the decline has been relatively more pronounced among the younger and older age groups, as shown in Table 1. This indicates that women are entering childbearing later and are stopping at a younger age. Births to teenage mothers now constituted only 2.4 per cent of total births.
TABLE 1: AGE SPECIFIC FERTILITY AND TOTAL FERTILITY RATE PER WOMAN, 1991 AND 2000, PENINSULAR MALAYSIA
| Age Group | 1991 | 2000 |
| 15-19 | 0.020 | 0.012 |
| 20-24 | 0.130 | 0.092 |
| 25-29 | 0.208 | 0.189 |
| 30-34 | 0.169 | 0.164 |
| 35-39 | 0.103 | 0.098 |
| 40-44 | 0.038 | 0.033 |
| 45-49 | 0.004 | 0.003 |
| TFR | 3.360 | 2.955 |
The fertility level is influenced by a host of socio-economic variables. The Fourth Malaysian Population and Family Survey, 2004 shows that the mean number of children ever born varies widely by educational level. Figure 1 shows that women with no schooling have almost twice as many children as those with tertiary education, and this is true for both urban and rural areas. The sharpest differentials in children ever born between two educational levels can be observed between those with primary education and those with secondary education.
To a lesser extent, the number of children ever born to married women is also found to be negatively correlated with urbanization. Part of this differential may be explained by female employment in the urban formal sector, where childbearing and work are less compatible.
FIGURE 1: MEAN NUMBER OF CHILDREN EVER BORN BY EDUCATION AND PLACE OF RESIDENCE, PENINSULAR MALAYSIA, 2004
The educational differential in the mean number of children ever born is partly attributed to delayed marriage among the better educated women. This is vindicated by the fact that within each marital category, the differential in the mean number of children ever born across educational categories is much less pronounced (Table 2).
The singulate mean age at first marriage had risen to 29 years for men and 25 years for women in 2000. Table 3 shows that a rather high proportion of women in their 30’s had never been married. A more detailed tabulation reveals that about 13 per cent of women aged 35-39 with tertiary education had never been married. With rising education, delayed and non-marriage will become more prevalent. Marriage postponement shortens childbearing span, and it will result in further fertility decline. Changes in marital structure have significant implications on the family system and the care of older persons. With rising age at marriage and consequently delayed childbearing, many retirees are still supporting children who are studying in institutions of higher learning.
The divorce rate has remained more or less unchanged. At ages 60 and above, a high proportion of women are widowed, and they represent one of the vulnerable groups that require assistance.
TABLE 2: MEAN NUMBER OF CHILDREN EVER BORN BY EDUCATIONAL LEVEL AND AGE AT FIRST MARRIAGE, PENINSULAR MALAYSIA, 2004
| Age at first marriage | |||||
| Educational level | Less than 18 | 18-20 | 21-23 | 24+ | All Ages |
| No formal education | 5.7 | 5.4 | 3.6 | 2.6 | 4.5 |
| Primary | 5.2 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 2.6 | 3.8 |
| Secondary | 4.2 | 3.5 | 2.9 | 2.4 | 2.9 |
| Tertiary | – | 2.5 | 2.9 | 2.3 | 2.4 |
| All Levels | 4.8 | 3.8 | 3.1 | 2.4 | 3.1 |
TABLE 3 : PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION OF FEMALE POPULATION BY AGE AND MARITAL STATUS, 2000
| Age Group | Never Married | Currently Married | Divorced | Widowed | Total |
| 15-19 | 95.7 | 4.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 100.0 |
| 20-24 | 69.3 | 30.2 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 100.0 |
| 25-29 | 29.1 | 69.7 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 100.0 |
| 30-34 | 12.6 | 85.3 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 100.0 |
| 35-39 | 7.8 | 89.0 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 100.0 |
| 40-44 | 6.1 | 88.5 | 1.9 | 3.6 | 100.0 |
| 45-49 | 5.0 | 86.7 | 2.0 | 6.3 | 100.0 |
| 50-54 | 4.1 | 81.8 | 2.0 | 12.1 | 100.0 |
| 55-59 | 3.0 | 75.9 | 2.0 | 19.2 | 100.0 |
| 60-64 | 2.2 | 64.9 | 2.0 | 30.9 | 100.0 |
| 65-69 | 2.0 | 54.9 | 1.9 | 41.2 | 100.0 |
| 70-74 | 1.6 | 41.2 | 2.2 | 55.0 | 100.0 |
| 75+ | 1.4 | 27.4 | 2.4 | 68.8 | 100.0 |
Download : PopInfo Issue 1 2006
