The majority of young people in Malaysia still dream of getting married and having children.
However, economic pressures, the rising cost of living and the challenges of finding a stable job have caused many to choose to postpone their plans to start a family.
Chairman of the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN), Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim said that the LPPKN Online Public Perception Survey in conjunction with World Population Day 2025, which involved 3,625 Malaysians aged 18 and above, showed that the desire to start a family is still high among the people.
Key findings of the study:
90.9% of single respondents intend to get married.
91.1% of single respondents want to have children in the future.
33.8% of married respondents still intend to have more children.
The average desired family size is 2.8 children.
However, the study also found that some people face difficulties in achieving the desired number of children.
The main reasons for postponing or reducing the number of children:
Insufficient household income.
The rising cost of living.
Challenging work schedules.
Fertility problems.
Health factors.
A total of 17.6% of respondents admitted that they were unable to achieve the desired number of children due to these factors.
According to Datuk Seri Rohani, the findings prove that young people are not rejecting the institution of marriage or parenthood.
On the contrary, they still dream of a family life, but face economic challenges, job opportunities, home ownership and fertility issues that make it difficult to realise that dream.
He said the government is responsible for creating an environment that allows more people to achieve their aspirations of starting a family. The findings of the study are also in line with the Demographic Outlook 2026 by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
A UNFPA study involving more than 100,000 individuals aged between 18 and 39 years in 73 countries found:
More than two-thirds of respondents hope to get married or live with a partner.
Almost 90% want to have at least one child.
Government initiatives
To support the people's desire to start a family, the government will continue to strengthen the National Family KASIH Policy and the National Family Action Plan 2026–2030 by focusing on:
Empowerment of family institutions.
Family planning.
Improving the quality of parenting.
Support for families at every stage of life.
Through LPPKN, various initiatives are also strengthened including:
SMARTSTART Programme.
Family education.
Marriage and family counselling.
Reproductive and social health education.
Nur Sejahtera Clinic Services.
Subfertility treatment.
Fertility Treatment Assistance and Infertility Advocacy Programme (BuAI).
In addition, the government is also strengthening a family-friendly ecosystem through the implementation of 98 days of maternity leave, seven days of paternity leave, the right to request flexible working arrangements, as well as efforts to increase access to housing, quality jobs, social protection, health services and childcare facilities.
