Cashless for all: E-wallets now a national habit for Malaysians across generations
A new report from Ipsos Malaysia indicates that e-wallet usage has become a mainstream habit across all age groups, rather than just a tool for the youth. Growth is particularly strong among middle-aged Malaysians using digital payments for everyday offline transactions like parking and groceries.
Why it matters
This shift signals the maturation of the digital economy in Southeast Asia, where digital payments are transitioning from a niche tech trend to essential infrastructure for daily life.
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 10 — E-wallets were long seen as a young person’s habit — something for students splitting bills or twenty-somethings ordering food delivery. New data from Ipsos Malaysia’s E-Wallet Landscape 2026 report suggests that story is out of date.
According to the survey of 1,029 Malaysians aged 18-74, conducted in April 2026, the fastest-growing group of e-wallet users last year was not the young.
It was Malaysians aged 35-44, whose usage jumped nine percentage points to 64 per cent, and those 45 and above, up four points to 44 per cent. By contrast, the 25-34 age bracket — traditionally assumed to be the core e-wallet demographic — stayed flat at 65 per cent, while 18-24 year-olds crept up just two points to 64 per cent.
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