Overview

• The number of deaths in 2023 decreased 4.7 per cent from 206,780 deaths in 2022 to 196,965 in 2023. In 2023, 60.7 per cent (119,652) of 196,965 deaths was classified as medically certified deaths while 39.3 per cent (77,313) was non-medically certified deaths.
• Pneumonia was the principal causes of death in 2023, accounting for 18,181 deaths or 15.2 per cent of the medically certified deaths. Pneumonia supersedes Ischaemic heart disease as the principal causes of death for the first time in two decades, except in 2021 when COVID-19 infection (due to) was the principal causes of death.
• There were 12,648 (17.6%) deaths caused by Ischaemic heart diseases for males, while Pneumonia was the principal causes of deaths for females at 7,815 (16.4%).
• Pneumonia was the principal causes of death for Chinese and Other Bumiputera which recorded 4,887 deaths (16.4%) and 1,255 deaths (12.2%) respectively, in 2023. Meanwhile, Malay and Indians recorded Ischaemic heart diseases as principal causes of death at 16.0 per cent and 20.6 per cent, respectively.
• In terms of the age group, the principal causes of death for population aged 60 years and over was Pneumonia which recorded 14,377 deaths or 19.3 per cent, while population aged 41-59 years recorded Ischaemic heart diseases at 19.8 per cent (5,673 deaths). Other than that, Transport accidents was the principal causes of death for population aged 0-14 years and 15-40 years which recorded 3.7 per cent and 20.1 per cent, respectively.
• On the other hand, Ischaemic heart diseases was the second highest causes of death with 15.1 per cent followed by Cerebrovascular diseases (7.2%) and Transport accidents (3.5%). Apart from this principal causes of death, statistics showed that deaths caused by Cancer have increased since 2001 from 5,231 deaths to 16,545 deaths in 2023. Cancer of digestive organs recorded the highest deaths among other cancers which recorded 5,054 deaths, followed by Cancer of respiratory and intrathoracic organs (2,530 deaths) and Cancer of breast (1,681 deaths).
• Six states namely Pahang, Perlis, Pulau Pinang, Sabah, Sarawak and W.P. Labuan recorded Pneumonia as the principal causes of death while 10 other states recorded Ischaemic heart diseases as principal causes of death. Perlis recorded the highest percentage of Pneumonia at 18.6 per cent followed by Pulau Pinang (17.8%) and Sabah (14.2%).
• Pneumonia was the principal causes of death in 78 administrative districts and the highest percentage was recorded in Kubang Pasu, Kedah with 26.3 per cent. Meanwhile, Ischaemic heart diseases was the principal causes of death in 65 administrative districts with the highest percentage recorded by Langkawi, Kedah (31.3%). On the other hand, 11 districts recorded Cerebrovascular diseases as the principal causes of death, while Malignant neoplasm of breast in one district (Kalabakan, Sabah) and Hypertensive diseases in one district (Dalat, Sarawak).

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