i. Five Principal Causes of Death

• Ischaemic heart diseases remained as the principal causes of death

Ischaemic heart diseases remained as the principal causes of death, 15.6 per cent followed by Pneumonia (11.8%), Cerebrovascular diseases (7.8%), Transport accidents (3.7%) and Chronic lower respiratory diseases (2.6%).

ii. Five Principal Causes of Death by Sex

• Ischaemic heart diseases remained as the principal causes of death for males

In 2018, Ischaemic heart diseases remained as the principal causes of death for males (17.8%). This is followed by Pneumonia (11.1%), Cerebrovascular diseases (7.2%), Transport accidents (5.3%) and Chronic lower respiratory diseases (2.9%). Cerebrovascular diseases was the third highest causes of death as compared to fourth place in 2017.

• Pneumonia remained as the principal causes of death for females

Pneumonia remained as the principal causes of death for females at 12.8 per cent, followed by Ischaemic heart diseases (12.2%), Cerebrovascular diseases (8.7%) and Malignant neoplasm of breast (4.2%) and Diabetes mellitus (3.2%). Diabetes mellitus was the fifth causes of death as compared to tenth place in 2017.

iii. Five Principal Causes of Death by Stratum

The principal causes of death in urban and rural areas in 2018 were Ischaemic heart diseases, recorded 15.9 per cent and 15.0 per cent, respectively. In urban area, Ischaemic heart diseases recorded a 1.5 percentage points increase while rural area increased 2.3 percentage points.

iv. Five Principal Causes of Death by Major Ethnic Group

• Ischaemic heart diseases remained as the principal causes of death for Bumiputera

Ischaemic heart diseases remained as the principal causes of death for Bumiputera at 15.2 per cent, followed by Pneumonia (11.9%), Cerebrovascular diseases (8.3%), Transport accidents (4.0%) and Chronic lower respiratory diseases (3.0%). Pneumonia and Transport accidents decreased in 2018 by 1.1 and 1.2 percentage points, respectively.

• Ischaemic heart diseases remained as the principal causes of death for Chinese

Ischaemic heart diseases remained as the principal causes of death for Chinese at 14.8 per cent, followed by Pneumonia (11.7%), Cerebrovascular diseases (7.2%), Malignant neoplasm of trachea, bronchus and lung (3.9%) and Malignant neoplasm of colon, rectum and anus (2.9%). Pneumonia decreased in 2018 as compared to 2017 by 0.5 percentage point

• Ischaemic heart diseases remained as the principal causes of death for Indians

  Ischaemic heart diseases remained as the principal causes of death for Indians at 20.7 per cent followed by Pneumonia (11.0%), Cerebrovascular diseases (6.1%), Transport accidents (5.2%) and Diseases of the liver (2.6%). Ischaemic heart diseases recorded the highest change of 1.2 percentage points.

v. Five Principal Causes of Death for Maternal

• Other maternal diseases classifiable elsewhere but complicating pregnancy, childbirth and puerperium recorded as the principal causes of death for maternal

Other maternal diseases classifiable elsewhere but complicating pregnancy, childbirth and puerperium recorded as the principal causes of death for maternal in 2018 of 22.9 per cent followed by Obstetric embolism (20.3%), Ectopic pregnancy (14.4%), Postpartum haemorrhage (12.7%) and Gestational [pregnancy – induced] hypertension with significant proteinuria (5.1%). Obstetric embolism and Postpartum haemorrhage decreased in 2018 as compared to 2017 by 5.7 and 2.3 percentage points, respectively.

vi. Five Principal Causes of Death by Selected Age Group 

• Pneumonia was the principal causes of death for population aged 0 to 14 years

Pneumonia was the principal causes of death for population aged 0 to 14 years in 2018 at 4.8 per cent followed by Transport accidents (3.7%), Accidental drowning and submersion (2.8%), Leukaemia (1.4%) and Cerebrovascular diseases (0.9%). Pneumonia recorded the highest change in 2018 as compared to 2017 of 0.7 percentage point.

Released By:

DATO' SRI DR. MOHD UZIR MAHIDIN
CHIEF STATISTICIAN MALAYSIA
DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS, MALAYSIA

30 October 2019

Rohaida binti Mohamad 
Public Relation Officer
Strategic Communication and International Division
Department of Statistics, Malaysia
Tel : +603-8885 7942
Fax : +603-8888 9248
Email : rohaida.mohamad[at]dosm.gov.my