A baby born in Malaysia this year is expected to live to 75.5 on average, up from 75.2 last year. The Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) released the Abridged Life Tables, Malaysia, 2026 on 30 September 2026. Girls born in 2026 are expected to live to 78.1 years and boys to 73.2 years, a difference of 4.9 years.
If you’re turning 60 this year, DOSM expects you to live another 18.9 years if you’re a man and another 21.7 years if you’re a woman. For retirement planning, we’d look at the age-60 estimates more than the 75.5 headline, because EPF’s savings levels assume your money has to last 20 years.
Life Expectancy Is Back Above Pre-Pandemic Levels
Life expectancy at birth fell from 74.7 in 2020 to 73.8 in 2022. DOSM says in its media release that this was because of extra deaths during COVID-19. Since 2023, there have been fewer deaths than in those years, and life expectancy has risen by 1.5 years, from 74.0 to 75.5. That’s 0.7 years higher than in 2019, before the pandemic, when it was 74.8.
Longer Lives Often Come With Health Problems
In 2021, Malaysians lived to about 73 on average, but only about 64 of those years were in good health, leaving about nine in poor health, according to World Health Organization (WHO) estimates.
Long-term illness is common after 60. The Ministry of Health’s National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2025 found that 39.1% of Malaysians aged 60 and above have diabetes and 73.1% have high blood pressure. If your parents are in their 60s, this is a good time to talk with them about their health and their plans.
That often means needing care. In Manulife’s Asia Care Survey 2026, Malaysian respondents expected to need care for 17 years in old age, 3 years more than the regional average. Planning for it early gives you more say in the kind of care you’ll have.
Women At 60 Can Expect To Outlast EPF’s 20-Year Plan
EPF’s Retirement Income Adequacy (RIA) framework sets three savings levels to reach by 60, RM390,000 for Basic Savings, RM650,000 for Adequate Savings and RM1.3 million for Enhanced Savings. EPF designed all three to give you a monthly income for 20 years, in line with average life expectancy. That takes you from 60 to 80.
DOSM’s new estimates put men a little under 20 years and women over it.
These are also averages, so plenty of people will live into their late 80s and 90s. So if you’re a woman, or if people in your family tend to live long, it’s a good idea to plan for more than 20 years.
RM390,000 Pays Less Each Month The Longer It Has To Last
EPF’s plan for Basic Savings pays RM1,625 a month in year one, rising to RM4,434 by year 20, because it assumes your savings keep earning dividends. The table below divides RM390,000 evenly over the rest of your life, with no dividends.
Saving a little more now can help your money keep up with a longer life.
EPF’s Belanjawanku 2024/2025 guide estimates that a single retiree in the Klang Valley needs RM2,690 a month for a reasonable standard of living. Over 20 years, that’s RM645,600, which is where EPF’s RM650,000 Adequate Savings level comes from.
In the Asia Care Survey, respondents estimated that future care support would cost RM4,760 a month, almost three times the RM1,625 a month that EPF’s plan pays in year one. Half of Malaysians in full-time paid jobs earned RM2,940 a month or less in 2025, so care would cost more than many people earn while they’re still working.
Making Your Savings Last Past 80
Top Up Your EPF While You’re Working
You can pay in more than the usual 11% through i-Topup if you work for an employer, or through i-Simpan, up to RM100,000 a year in voluntary contributions. When you reach 55 or 60, don’t take out everything. What you leave in EPF keeps earning dividends, which were 6.15% for 2025.
Private Retirement Scheme (PRS)
PRS is a voluntary retirement fund you contribute to on top of EPF. You get income tax relief of up to RM3,000 a year, and that relief currently runs until the 2030 year of assessment. Before 55, you can only take money out of Sub-account B, which holds 30% of what you put in. You can do this once a year, and 8% is taken as a tax penalty. The rest stays locked until 55. To see how the funds work, read our guide to PRS. To see what you’d save at each tax bracket, check how much tax you save with PRS.
ASB And ASNB Funds
ASB, ASB 2 and ASB 3 Didik are open to Bumiputera only, and ASB paid 5.75 sen per unit for 2025. Fixed-price funds like ASM, ASM 2 Wawasan and ASM 3 are open to all Malaysians, though units are limited and often sell out quickly when new ones are released. Unlike EPF and PRS, you can withdraw from ASNB funds at any time, so they work for retirement only if you leave the money alone. To find the fund that suits you, read our guide to ASNB funds.
Medical Insurance
Manulife’s survey also found that 70% of Malaysian respondents are worried about paying for care in old age, compared with 66% across Asia, and only 23% plan to rely on their children. A medical card covers large hospital bills so you don’t have to pay them from your EPF. Premiums generally go up as you age, and conditions you already have when you sign up are usually excluded. So buy cover while you’re younger and healthy. You can compare medical cards on RinggitPlus.
Working Past 60
In the Asia Care Survey, 68% of respondents plan to work beyond the usual retirement age, though it depends on your health and your employer. Each extra year of work adds another year of contributions and dividends, and means your savings have to last one year less. EPF’s CEO has said working five more years could add about 40% to your savings, assuming a 5% dividend and a 3% yearly pay rise. Part-time or contract work after 60 can also let you wait longer before taking money out of your EPF.
Plan For Longer Than The Average
Living longer is something to look forward to, and a few changes now can make those extra years more comfortable. At EPF’s RM2,690 a month, a man’s 20 years is covered by the RM650,000 Adequate Savings level. A woman’s 22 years costs about RM710,000, around RM60,000 more. Check how close you are with the RinggitPlus retirement calculator guide, then pick the options in this article that you can start now.
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