Ischaemic heart disease remains the number one cause of death in Malaysia, according to the latest report from the Department of Statistics Malaysia, released on Thursday (Dec 18). The condition caused 17,421 deaths, making up 13% of all medically certified deaths in 2024.
In total, Malaysia saw 198,992 deaths in 2024. Of these, 133,844 (67.3%) were medically certified, while 65,148 (32.7%) were not. The proportion of medically certified deaths has increased significantly, up from 60.7% (119,652 deaths) in 2023.
Top Causes of Death
Ischaemic heart disease caused 12,112 male deaths, or 15.3% of male fatalities. For females, pneumonia was the leading cause of death, responsible for 6,776 deaths, or 12.4% of female fatalities.
The report also revealed that ischaemic heart disease remained the top cause of death for Malays and Indians, accounting for 10,291 (13.9%) and 2,161 (17.6%) deaths, respectively. In contrast, pneumonia was the leading cause of death for the Chinese (4,231 deaths or 12.7%) and other Bumiputera communities (1,016 deaths or 9.7%).
Pneumonia was the second leading cause of death overall, with 15,332 deaths (11.5%), followed by diabetes (6,929 deaths or 5.2%) and transport accidents (4,428 deaths or 3.3%).
Cancer Deaths Rising
Cancer-related deaths have sharply increased over the years. In 2024, cancer caused 19,180 deaths, a significant rise from 5,231 in 2001. The leading types of cancer were those affecting the digestive organs (5,825 deaths), followed by respiratory cancers (2,987 deaths) and breast cancer (2,173 deaths).
The Impact of Ischaemic Heart Disease
Ischaemic heart disease happens when the heart’s arteries become narrow or blocked due to plaque buildup, reducing the blood supply to the heart. This can cause chest pain or, if an artery becomes completely blocked, lead to a heart attack. Risk factors include smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, age, obesity, and lack of physical activity.
Pneumonia deaths were also influenced by lingering respiratory infections from the pandemic, particularly among people with weak immune systems or pre-existing health conditions. Other diseases linked to unhealthy lifestyles include diabetes and kidney failure.
Death Rates by Age Group and Region
Pneumonia was the leading cause of death for those aged 60 and above (11,989 deaths or 13.%) and for children under 14 (244 deaths or 5.6%). For individuals aged 15 to 40, transport accidents were the leading cause of death, with 2,547 fatalities (20.0%). Among those aged 41 to 59, ischaemic heart disease was the leading cause, with 5,380 deaths (17.6%).
The report also showed that ischaemic heart disease was the leading cause of death in 13 Malaysian states. The highest number of deaths due to this disease occurred in Selangor (3,038 deaths), followed by Johor (2,620) and Kedah (2,349).
Global Comparison
Globally, heart disease was also the top cause of death in the United States and Australia in 2023. However, in countries like Japan, South Korea, Canada, and Singapore, cancer was the leading cause of death, while the United Kingdom saw dementia and Alzheimer’s topping the list.
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