Total fertility rate down from 3.0 to 2.1 children, Dewan told

KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development, Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun said the nation’s total fertility rate ( TFR) declined from 3.0 children in 2000 to 2.1 in 2012.

“The decline in TFR caused the population growth rate to decline. Population growth is expected to decline further to 1.0 per cent for the 2020 to 2030 period,” she said replying to Dr Azman Ismail (PKRKuala Kedah ) in parliament, here yesterday.

The decline in TFR also caused the percentage of the elderly population aged over 60 to increase. Malaysia is exected to become an aged nation by 2030 when 15 per cent of the population is made up of senior citizens.

Azizah said the decline in TFR would not deter government efforts to achieve high income status by 2020.

The Statistics Department said the labour force (15- 59 years) percentage in 2010 was at 64.7 per cent and expected to increase to 65.4 per cent in 2020.

“The nation is expected to have sufficient labour to meet market

The decline in TFR caused the population growth rate to decline. Population growth is expected to decline further to 1.0 percent for the 2020 to 2030 period. Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun, Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development

demands in driving economic growth. The working population is more educated, have less dependents due to declining FTR, longer life expectancy and can contribute to higher per capita income. — Bernama