Malaysia vs Singapore: population pyramids in 1988
MalaysiaSingapore
Each bar is the share of the total population at that single year of age (men left, women right), so countries of different sizes can be compared.
Malaysia and Singapore compared
In 1988, Malaysia has a population of 16.5 million and Singapore 2.8 million; Malaysia is about 5.9 times the size of Singapore.
The share aged 65 and over is 3.6% in Malaysia and 5.5% in Singapore, 1.9 points higher in Singapore. The median age is 21.0 years in Malaysia and 28.5 years in Singapore.
The total fertility rate is 3.50 in Malaysia and 1.75 in Singapore, so only Singapore is below the replacement level of about 2.1. Life expectancy at birth is 70.5 years in Malaysia and 74.0 years in Singapore.
By 2050, the population of Malaysia is projected to grow by 167.1% and that of Singapore to grow by 116.5% compared with 1988.
GDP per person is $13K in Malaysia (2025) and $99K in Singapore (2025).
Key figures (1988)
| Malaysia | Singapore | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 16.5 million | 2.8 million |
| Aged 0–14 | 37.8% | 22.2% |
| Aged 15–64 | 58.7% | 72.3% |
| Aged 65+ | 3.6% | 5.5% |
| Median age | 21.0 yrs | 28.5 yrs |
| Old-age dependency | 6.1 | 7.6 |
| Total fertility rate | 3.50 | 1.75 |
| Life expectancy | 70.5 yrs | 74.0 yrs |
| Population growth | +3.10% | +2.78% |
| Net migration (per year) | +133,478 | +40,976 |
| GDP | $472B (2025) | $604B (2025) |
| GDP per person | $13K (2025) | $99K (2025) |
| Unemployment | 3.8% (2025) | 2.8% (2025) |
Economic figures are the latest year published for each country.