Malaysia’s NHMS 2025 shows only 14.7% of older adults are ageing well, prompting calls to speed up Senior Citizens Bill
PUTRAJAYA: Only 14.7% of older Malaysians are considered to be ageing well, according to the latest National Health and Morbidity Survey 2025 (NHMS 2025).
The findings have raised urgent concerns regarding Malaysia’s preparedness for a rapidly ageing population and have strengthened calls to fast-track the Senior Citizens Bill.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said that the findings are part of the Malaysian Healthy Ageing Study (MHS) initiative, which was conducted over a three-month period in 2025.
Dzulkefly explained that “healthy ageing” is defined by five strict criteria which includes, strong social support, absence of cognitive impairment such as dementia, no depression or presence of only low depressive symptoms, independence in activities of daily living and absence of chronic diseases or having well-controlled conditions.
Based on NHMS 2025 data involving 7,258 respondents, only a small fraction (14.7%) of older persons met all five benchmarks.
A major policy focus highlighted by Dzulkefly is the Senior Citizens Bill, which he argued must be expedited to establish a robust legal framework protecting the rights and welfare of older persons.
“We should not wait until people reach their 60s. We must begin preparation from their early 50s to allow at least a decade for healthy ageing interventions,” he cautioned, warning that late intervention would result in the crisis-driven management of age-related conditions.
Dzulkefly highlighted Malaysia’s accelerating demographic shift, stating that the country is expected to become an “ageing nation” by 2036, when 15% of the population will be aged 60 and above.
He said that this transition is occurring over just 15 to 16 years, approximately 1.5 times faster than in Japan, which took nearly a century to reach a similar demographic stage.
Dzulkefly also warned that this rapid shift will place significant pressure on healthcare systems, fiscal planning and social support structures.
Despite the challenges, the report identified some encouraging trends.
Depression among older persons has declined from 11.2% in 2018 to 8% in 2025, indicating improvements in mental health outcomes.
However, concerns remain regarding dementia and chronic diseases, which are closely linked to uncontrolled conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol.
The study also found that the proportion of older persons living alone has increased to approximately 18%.
Dzulkefly said that the findings call for a whole-of-government approach, involving health, social and fiscal policy coordination to ensure Malaysia is prepared for an ageing society.
