Malaysia’s Orang Asli population is currently at 227,900, an average increase of 1.2% a year from 213,461 in 2020.
In a special report on Orang Asli demographics, the statistics department said the Orang Asli population growth remained concentrated in traditional strongholds such as Pahang and Perak.
Pahang hosts the largest Orang Asli community with 82,824 in 2020, followed by Perak with 58,942 and Selangor with 21,312.
The largest populations by district are in Batang Padang, Perak (17,092), followed by Lipis (14,999) and Rompin (14,985) in Pahang.
The statistics department said the community’s life expectancy at birth improved to 67.8 years, up 5.1 years since 2010.
The number of Orang Asli households rose to 54,275 in 2020, while the average household size fell to 3.9 from 5.3 in 2010, reflecting smaller family units and migration for work.
Self-employment (59.7%) remained the dominant form of work, followed by private-sector employment (28.7%) and government service (6.6%).
The statistics department said these indicators would guide planning for health, education and infrastructure services, adding that better, more frequent statistics were key to tracking living conditions and targeting support.
