Singapore vs Malaysia: population pyramids in 1976
SingaporeMalaysia
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.
Singapore and Malaysia compared
In 1976, Singapore has a population of 2.3 million and Malaysia 11.6 million; Malaysia is about 5.1 times the size of Singapore.
The share aged 65 and over is 4.1% in Singapore and 3.2% in Malaysia, 0.9 points higher in Singapore. The median age is 22.2 years in Singapore and 18.6 years in Malaysia.
The total fertility rate is 2.09 in Singapore and 4.40 in Malaysia, so only Singapore is below the replacement level of about 2.1. Life expectancy at birth is 70.6 years in Singapore and 66.2 years in Malaysia.
By 2050, the population of Singapore is projected to grow by 166.2% and that of Malaysia to grow by 280.5% compared with 1976.
GDP per person is $99K in Singapore (2025) and $13K in Malaysia (2025).
Key figures (1976)
| Singapore | Malaysia | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2.3 million | 11.6 million |
| Aged 0–14 | 31.8% | 41.4% |
| Aged 15–64 | 64.1% | 55.4% |
| Aged 65+ | 4.1% | 3.2% |
| Median age | 22.2 yrs | 18.6 yrs |
| Old-age dependency | 6.4 | 5.8 |
| Total fertility rate | 2.09 | 4.40 |
| Life expectancy | 70.6 yrs | 66.2 yrs |
| Population growth | +1.38% | +2.40% |
| Net migration (per year) | +949 | -18,316 |
| GDP | $604B (2025) | $472B (2025) |
| GDP per person | $99K (2025) | $13K (2025) |
| Unemployment | 2.8% (2025) | 3.8% (2025) |
Economic figures are the latest year published for each country.