Singapore vs Malaysia: population pyramids in 1985
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 1985, Singapore has a population of 2.7 million and Malaysia 15 million; Malaysia is about 5.5 times the size of Singapore.
The share aged 65 and over is 5.1% in Singapore and 3.5% in Malaysia, 1.5 points higher in Singapore. The median age is 27.1 years in Singapore and 20.6 years in Malaysia.
The total fertility rate is 1.53 in Singapore and 3.80 in Malaysia, so only Singapore is below the replacement level of about 2.1. Life expectancy at birth is 73.1 years in Singapore and 69.9 years in Malaysia.
By 2050, the population of Singapore is projected to grow by 122.5% and that of Malaysia to grow by 194.4% compared with 1985.
GDP per person is $99K in Singapore (2025) and $13K in Malaysia (2025).
Key figures (1985)
| Singapore | Malaysia | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2.7 million | 15 million |
| Aged 0–14 | 23.2% | 38.1% |
| Aged 15–64 | 71.8% | 58.4% |
| Aged 65+ | 5.1% | 3.5% |
| Median age | 27.1 yrs | 20.6 yrs |
| Old-age dependency | 7.1 | 6.0 |
| Total fertility rate | 1.53 | 3.80 |
| Life expectancy | 73.1 yrs | 69.9 yrs |
| Population growth | +0.04% | +3.30% |
| Net migration (per year) | -31,036 | +120,215 |
| 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.