In brief
In 2025, ischemic heart disease was Malaysia's leading cause of death, causing 18,001 deaths that represented 13% of all 199,807 deaths recorded that year. The disease was most deadly for males and for Malays and Indians, while pneumonia led among females and among Chinese and other Bumiputera communities. Medicine‑certified fatality figures from another source report 17,421 deaths from ischemic heart disease, indicating a slight variance between different reporting methods.
On Thursday, the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) released its official 2025 mortality statistics in a statement issued from Kuala Lumpur, revealing that ischemic heart disease remained the country’s leading cause of death.
According to the DOSM statement, a total of 18,001 deaths in 2025 were attributed to ischemic heart disease—constituting 13 percent of all deaths that year. The disease was particularly lethal for the male population, accounting for 12,670 male deaths, while pneumonia topped the list of causes for females, with 7,684 fatalities.
In terms of ethnic composition, the report found that ischemic heart disease was the leading cause of death among Malays and Indians. In contrast, pneumonia was the highest cause of death among the Chinese and other Bumiputera communities.
The report further details that Malaysia recorded 199,807 deaths in 2025, a 0.4 percent increase from 198,992 in 2024. Of these deaths, 138,507—or 69.3 percent—were medically certified.
Medically Certified Fatalities
Another source, a recent article from a health blog, cites DOSM data on medically certified deaths, stating that ischemic heart disease accounted for 17,421 deaths—or 13.0 percent of all medically certified fatalities—in 2025. Though the figure differs from the 18,001 total deaths reported by the DOSM, both sources agree that the percentage of deaths caused by ischemic heart disease is approximately 13 percent.
These figures illustrate the persistent burden of ischemic heart disease on Malaysia’s public health. Public health officials continue to emphasize the need for earlier detection, lifestyle modifications, and improved cardiovascular care to curb the mortality rate.
