https://www.humantruth.info/malaysia.html
By Vexen Crabtree 2013
Malaysia | ![]() |
---|---|
Status | Independent State |
Social and Moral Index | 55th best |
Capital | Kuala Lumpur (legislative/judicial) and Putrajaya (administrative) |
Land Area | 328 550km21 |
Location | Asia |
Population | 31.5m2 |
Life Expectancy | 74.88yrs (2017)3 |
GNI | $26 658 (2017)4 |
ISO3166-1 Codes | MY, MYS, 4585 |
Internet Domain | .my6 |
Currency | Ringgit (MYR)7 |
Telephone | +608 |
“During the late 18th and 19th centuries, Great Britain established colonies and protectorates in the area of current Malaysia; these were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. In 1948, the British-ruled territories on the Malay Peninsula except Singapore formed the Federation of Malaya, which became independent in 1957. Malaysia was formed in 1963 when the former British colonies of Singapore, as well as Sabah and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo, joined the Federation. The first several years of the country's independence were marred by a Communist insurgency, Indonesian confrontation with Malaysia, Philippine claims to Sabah, and Singapore's withdrawal in 1965. During the 22-year term of Prime Minister MAHATHIR bin Mohamad (1981-2003), Malaysia was successful in diversifying its economy from dependence on exports of raw materials to the development of manufacturing, services, and tourism. Prime Minister Mohamed NAJIB bin Abdul Razak (in office since April 2009) has continued these pro-business policies and has introduced some civil reforms.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)9
“Malaysia offers steamy jungles packed with wildlife, beautiful beaches, idyllic islands, culinary sensations and multi-ethnic cultures. Malaysia is like two countries in one, cleaved in half by the South China Sea. The multicultural peninsula flaunts Malay, Chinese and Indian influences, while Borneo hosts a wild jungle of orang-utans, granite peaks and remote tribes. Throughout these two regions is an impressive variety of microcosms ranging from the space-age high-rises of Kuala Lumpur to the smiling longhouse villages of Sarawak.
And then there´s the food. Malaysia (particularly along the peninsular west coast) has one of the best assortments of cuisines in the world. Start with Chinese-Malay `Nonya´ fare, move on to Indian curries, Chinese buffets, Malay food stalls and even impressive Western food.
Yet despite all the pockets of ethnicities, religions, landscapes and the sometimes-great distances between them, the beauty of Malaysia lies in the fusion of it all into a country that is one of the safest, most stable, diverse but manageable in all of Southeast Asia.”
#economics #human_development #wealth
UN HDI (2021)11 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Higher is better Value11 | |
1 | Switzerland | 0.962 |
2 | Norway | 0.961 |
3 | Iceland | 0.959 |
... | ||
59= | Uruguay | 0.809 |
60 | Belarus | 0.808 |
61 | Panama | 0.805 |
62 | Malaysia | 0.803 |
63= | Mauritius | 0.802 |
63= | Georgia | 0.802 |
63= | Serbia | 0.802 |
66 | Thailand | 0.800 |
Asia Avg | 0.75 | |
World Avg | 0.72 | |
q=191. |
Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Higher is better PPP $11 | |
1 | Liechtenstein | $146 830 |
2 | Singapore | $90 919 |
3 | Qatar | $87 134 |
... | ||
51 | Russia | $27 166 |
52 | Oman | $27 054 |
53 | Panama | $26 957 |
54 | Malaysia | $26 658 |
55 | Seychelles | $25 831 |
56 | Chile | $24 563 |
57 | Kazakhstan | $23 943 |
58 | Trinidad & Tobago | $23 392 |
Asia Avg | $22 215 | |
World Avg | $20 136 | |
q=193. |
Social & Moral Development Index12 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank12 | |
1 | Denmark | 29.1 |
2 | Norway | 32.3 |
3 | Sweden | 34.1 |
... | ||
52 | Serbia | 74.8 |
53 | Barbados | 75.5 |
54 | San Marino | 76.1 |
55 | Malaysia | 76.5 |
56 | Albania | 76.6 |
57 | Tunisia | 77.5 |
58 | Trinidad & Tobago | 77.7 |
59 | Peru | 78.0 |
Asia Avg | 92.0 | |
World Avg | 88.9 | |
q=199. |
The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..
The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.
#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen
Population:
Malaysia's population is predicted to rise to 37.27 million by 2030. This rise is despite a low fertility rate, meaning, that this country is helping to alleviate problems with growing population in neighbouring countries by accepting immigrants, very likely as a requirement of maintaining an active workforce. This country has a fertility rate of 1.79. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.13Population2 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2018 Population2 | |
1 | China | 1.4b |
2 | India | 1.4b |
3 | USA | 327.1m |
... | ||
41 | Saudi Arabia | 33.7m |
42 | Uzbekistan | 32.5m |
43 | Peru | 32.0m |
44 | Malaysia | 31.5m |
45 | Angola | 30.8m |
46 | Ghana | 29.8m |
47 | Mozambique | 29.5m |
48 | Venezuela | 28.9m |
World Avg | 39.0m | |
q=195. |
Life Expectancy Higher is better11 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2021 Years11 | |
1 | Monaco | 85.9 |
2 | Hong Kong | 85.5 |
3 | Japan | 84.8 |
... | ||
60 | Lebanon | 75.0 |
61 | Grenada | 74.9 |
62 | Slovakia | 74.9 |
63 | Malaysia | 74.9 |
64 | Brunei | 74.6 |
65 | Hungary | 74.5 |
66 | Jordan | 74.3 |
67 | Serbia | 74.2 |
World Avg | 71.28 | |
q=195. |
Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 202214 | |
1 | US Virgin Islands | 2.00 |
2 | Ecuador | 2.00 |
3 | Nepal | 2.01 |
... | ||
29 | Bahrain | 1.80 |
30 | France | 1.79 |
31 | N. Korea | 1.79 |
32 | Malaysia | 1.79 |
33 | El Salvador | 1.79 |
34 | Qatar | 1.78 |
35 | Bulgaria | 1.78 |
36 | St Vincent & Grenadines | 1.78 |
World Avg | 2.47 | |
q=208. |
Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better15 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2016 Per 10015 | |
1 | Uganda | 04.3 |
2 | Mali | 04.5 |
3= | Chad | 04.7 |
... | ||
92 | Iran | 13.4 |
93 | Samoa | 13.7 |
94 | Algeria | 14.0 |
95 | Malaysia | 14.5 |
96 | Guyana | 15.0 |
97 | Fiji | 15.3 |
98 | Mexico | 15.4 |
99 | Peru | 15.5 |
World Avg | 18.3 | |
q=185. |
Migration:
Immigrants16 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2017 %16 | |
1 | UAE | 88.4% |
2 | Kuwait | 75.5% |
3 | Qatar | 65.2% |
... | ||
61 | Dominica | 9.2% |
62 | Serbia | 9.1% |
63 | Ivory Coast | 9.0% |
64 | Malaysia | 8.5% |
65 | Portugal | 8.5% |
66 | Suriname | 8.5% |
67 | Costa Rica | 8.4% |
68 | Russia | 8.1% |
World Avg | 9.4% | |
q=195. |
Emigrants17 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2010 %17 | |
1 | Dominica | 104.8% |
2 | Palestine | 68.4% |
3 | Samoa | 67.3% |
... | ||
105 | Togo | 5.4% |
106 | Ivory Coast | 5.4% |
107 | Switzerland | 5.4% |
108 | Malaysia | 5.3% |
109 | Guinea | 5.2% |
110 | Turkmenistan | 5.0% |
111 | Mozambique | 5.0% |
112 | Senegal | 5.0% |
World Avg | 11.5% | |
q=192. |
#equality #freedom #gender #gender_equality #human_rights #malaysia #malaysia_gender #misogyny #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance #women
Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)18 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank18 | |
1 | Sweden | 6.1 |
2 | Denmark | 8.6 |
3 | Norway | 9.0 |
... | ||
124 | Kazakhstan | 104.7 |
125 | Tonga | 105.5 |
126 | Benin | 105.6 |
127 | Malaysia | 105.8 |
128 | Tajikistan | 106.4 |
129 | Kenya | 106.8 |
Asia Avg | 103.00 | |
World Avg | 86.55 | |
q=199. |
For tables, charts and commentary, see:
#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #malaysia #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #vaccines
Compared to Asia (2025)28 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank28 | |
1 | Japan | 41.2 |
2 | Hong Kong | 48.2 |
3= | S. Korea | 49.9 |
3= | Sri Lanka | 49.9 |
5 | Singapore | 51.1 |
6 | N. Korea | 51.3 |
7 | China | 58.6 |
8 | Malaysia | 61.3 |
9 | Vietnam | 64.1 |
10 | Thailand | 70.8 |
11 | Brunei | 71.2 |
12 | Cyprus | 72.8 |
13 | Maldives | 73.0 |
Asia Avg | 80.90 | |
q=50. |
Health (2025)28 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank28 | |
1 | Monaco | 14.3 |
2 | Liechtenstein | 30.1 |
3 | Isle of Man | 32.1 |
... | ||
23 | Channel Islands | 58.4 |
24 | China | 58.6 |
25 | Finland | 59.8 |
26 | Malaysia | 61.3 |
27 | Belgium | 61.5 |
28 | Luxembourg | 63.9 |
29 | Vietnam | 64.1 |
30 | Italy | 65.0 |
World Avg | 97.60 | |
q=213. |
The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and The Isle of Man29. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are The Cook Islands, The Marshall Islands and Niue29.
25 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Balkans29, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Australasia29.
For more, see:
Health:
Public health in Malaysia is very good. Malaysia does better than average in its alcohol consumption rate30, its fertility rate14, its adolescent birth rate31, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance32, its immunizations take-up33, the prevalence of overweight adults34 and in its average life expectancy11. But, things could still be better. Malaysia does worse than average for its smoking rate35 (still good for Asia). The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the last 40 years. Life expectancy in Malaysia improved by +4.5yrs in the 30 years from 1990, less than the global average of +7.9yrs. Malaysia's peak fertility rate was 6.41 in 1960.Life Expectancy Higher is better11 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2021 Years11 | |
1 | Monaco | 85.9 |
2 | Hong Kong | 85.5 |
3 | Japan | 84.8 |
... | ||
60 | Lebanon | 75.0 |
61 | Grenada | 74.9 |
62 | Slovakia | 74.9 |
63 | Malaysia | 74.9 |
64 | Brunei | 74.6 |
65 | Hungary | 74.5 |
66 | Jordan | 74.3 |
67 | Serbia | 74.2 |
Asia Avg | 73.48 | |
World Avg | 71.28 | |
q=195. |
Alcohol Consumption Lower is better30 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2016 Per Capita30 | |
1 | Bangladesh | 0.0 |
2 | Kuwait | 0.0 |
3 | Libya | 0.0 |
... | ||
23= | Indonesia | 0.8 |
23= | Azerbaijan | 0.8 |
25 | Algeria | 0.9 |
26= | Malaysia | 0.9 |
26= | Comoros | 0.9 |
28 | Iran | 1.0 |
29= | Vanuatu | 1.0 |
30 | Papua New Guinea | 1.2 |
Asia Avg | 3.9 | |
World Avg | 6.2 | |
q=189. |
Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 202214 | |
1 | US Virgin Islands | 2.00 |
2 | Ecuador | 2.00 |
3 | Nepal | 2.01 |
... | ||
29 | Bahrain | 1.80 |
30 | France | 1.79 |
31 | N. Korea | 1.79 |
32 | Malaysia | 1.79 |
33 | El Salvador | 1.79 |
34 | Qatar | 1.78 |
35 | Bulgaria | 1.78 |
36 | St Vincent & Grenadines | 1.78 |
Asia Avg | 2.17 | |
World Avg | 2.47 | |
q=208. |
Smoking Rates Lower is better35 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 201435 | |
1 | Guinea | 15 |
2 | Solomon Islands | 26 |
3 | Kiribati | 28 |
... | ||
91 | Venezuela | 565 |
92 | Uzbekistan | 573 |
93 | Oman | 577 |
94 | Malaysia | 584 |
95 | Seychelles | 590 |
96 | Jamaica | 593 |
97 | N. Korea | 610 |
98 | Fiji | 618 |
Asia Avg | 1 035 | |
World Avg | 819 | |
q=182. |
Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better32 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2017 Rank32 | |
1 | Sweden | 1 |
2 | Ireland | 2 |
3 | Denmark | 3 |
... | ||
43 | Russia | 43 |
44 | Turkey | 44 |
45 | Mexico | 45 |
46 | Malaysia | 46 |
47 | Czechia | 47 |
48 | China | 48 |
49 | Singapore | 49 |
50 | Ecuador | 50 |
Asia Avg | 64.4 | |
World Avg | 82.0 | |
q=163. |
Overweight Adults Lower is better34 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 1976 %34 | |
1 | Bangladesh | 4.7 |
2 | Vietnam | 5.1 |
3 | Nepal | 5.4 |
... | ||
52= | Sudan | 11.5 |
53 | Sao Tome & Principe | 11.7 |
54 | Congo, (Brazzaville) | 11.8 |
55 | Malaysia | 11.9 |
56= | S. Korea | 12.3 |
56= | Zambia | 12.3 |
58 | Gabon | 12.9 |
59 | Botswana | 13.6 |
Asia Avg | 23.1 | |
World Avg | 27.1 | |
q=191. |
Adult Obesity Lower is better36 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2022 %36 | |
1 | Vietnam | 2.1% |
2 | Timor-Leste (E. Timor) | 2.2% |
3 | Ethiopia | 2.4% |
... | ||
88 | Belgium | 22.0% |
89 | Morocco | 22.1% |
90 | Slovenia | 22.2% |
91 | Malaysia | 22.4% |
92 | Iceland | 22.6% |
93 | Venezuela | 22.8% |
94 | Israel | 23.4% |
95 | Cuba | 23.5% |
Asia Avg | 21.1% | |
World Avg | 24.7% | |
q=199. |
Children's Health:
Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better31 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2022 Per 100031 | |
1 | Hong Kong | 1.6 |
2 | Denmark | 1.8 |
3 | S. Korea | 2.1 |
... | ||
37 | Croatia | 8.2 |
38 | Greece | 8.3 |
39 | Bahrain | 8.7 |
40 | Malaysia | 9.1 |
41 | Poland | 9.2 |
42 | Czechia | 9.4 |
43 | Bosnia & Herzegovina | 9.4 |
44 | France | 9.4 |
Asia Avg | 25.9 | |
World Avg | 43.8 | |
q=195. |
Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better33 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2015 Avg %33 | |
1= | Hungary | 99.0 |
1= | China | 99.0 |
3 | Uzbekistan | 98.9 |
... | ||
47 | Tajikistan | 96.1 |
48 | Rwanda | 96.1 |
49 | Sao Tome & Principe | 96.0 |
50 | Malaysia | 96.0 |
51 | Croatia | 95.9 |
52 | Nicaragua | 95.9 |
53 | Tunisia | 95.7 |
54 | Japan | 95.7 |
Asia Avg | 90.5 | |
World Avg | 88.3 | |
q=194. |
#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #energy #environmentalism #food #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #sustainability #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism
Compared to Asia (2025)37 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank37 | |
1 | Sri Lanka | 34.9 |
2 | Nepal | 47.9 |
3 | India | 49.5 |
... | ||
24 | S. Korea | 84.0 |
25 | Cambodia | 84.0 |
26 | Taiwan | 86.1 |
27 | Malaysia | 89.5 |
28 | Palestine | 92.7 |
29 | Qatar | 94.1 |
30 | Saudi Arabia | 94.9 |
31 | Israel | 95.8 |
32= | Laos | 97.0 |
Asia Avg | 86.44 | |
q=51. |
Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)37 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank37 | |
1 | Sri Lanka | 34.9 |
2 | Uruguay | 43.2 |
3 | Switzerland | 45.0 |
... | ||
117 | Jamaica | 88.6 |
118 | Fiji | 89.1 |
119 | Czechia | 89.3 |
120 | Malaysia | 89.5 |
121 | Lithuania | 89.5 |
122 | Paraguay | 91.0 |
123 | Equatorial Guinea | 91.2 |
124 | Belize | 91.3 |
World Avg | 84.93 | |
q=199. |
We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"38. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.
The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.
For more, see:
Malaysia ranks 120th in the world in terms of its responsibility towards the environment. This is computed from 21 data sets. Malaysia does better than average in the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population39, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment and in its environmental performance40. Malaysia still has work to do. Malaysia does worse than average in terms of reducing annual meat consumption per person41, energy to GDP efficiency42 and in its forested percent change 2000-202043. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 in its score on the Green Future Index44.Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better43 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Total43 | |
1 | Guernsey | 82.6% |
2 | Bahrain | 75.2% |
3 | Iceland | 64.7% |
... | ||
157 | US Virgin Islands | -1.9% |
158 | Sri Lanka | -2.5% |
159 | Central African Rep. | -2.6% |
160 | Malaysia | -2.9% |
161 | S. Korea | -2.9% |
162 | Timor-Leste (E. Timor) | -3.0% |
163 | American Samoa | -3.4% |
164 | Rwanda | -3.5% |
Asia Avg | 3.2% | |
World Avg | -0.1% | |
q=234. |
Environmental Performance Higher is better40 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 201840 | |
1 | Switzerland | 87.4 |
2 | France | 84.0 |
3 | Denmark | 81.6 |
... | ||
72 | Mexico | 59.7 |
73 | Dominica | 59.4 |
74 | Argentina | 59.3 |
75 | Malaysia | 59.2 |
76 | Antigua & Barbuda | 59.2 |
77 | UAE | 58.9 |
78 | Jamaica | 58.6 |
79 | Namibia | 58.5 |
Asia Avg | 54.5 | |
World Avg | 56.4 | |
q=180. |
Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better42 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2022 Avg42 | |
1 | Rwanda | 0.25 |
2 | Chad | 0.26 |
3 | Tanzania | 0.31 |
... | ||
121 | Belgium | 1.49 |
122 | Panama | 1.49 |
123 | Uzbekistan | 1.52 |
124 | Malaysia | 1.53 |
125 | Vietnam | 1.55 |
126 | Estonia | 1.56 |
127 | Bosnia & Herzegovina | 1.60 |
128 | Kazakhstan | 1.63 |
Asia Avg | 1.50 | |
World Avg | 1.23 | |
q=165. |
International Accords on the Environment Higher is better | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Total Avg Rate | |
1 | Sweden | 83% |
2 | Canada | 82% |
3 | Norway | 81% |
... | ||
62 | Sri Lanka | 65% |
63 | Madagascar | 65% |
64 | China | 64% |
65 | Malaysia | 64% |
66 | Botswana | 64% |
67 | El Salvador | 64% |
68 | Iran | 64% |
69 | Argentina | 64% |
Asia Avg | 55.4% | |
World Avg | 57.5% | |
q=197. |
Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better39 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2011 %39 | |
1 | Argentina | 78.3% |
2 | Greece | 77.6% |
3 | Brazil | 77.1% |
... | ||
45 | Iran | 47.9% |
46 | Turkey | 47.4% |
47 | Sudan | 46.9% |
48 | Malaysia | 46.6% |
49 | Mozambique | 46.5% |
50 | Laos | 45.3% |
51 | Slovenia | 45.1% |
52 | Spain | 44.8% |
Asia Avg | 37.9% | |
World Avg | 39.9% | |
q=145. |
Meat Consumption Lower is better41 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2021 kg41 | |
1 | Congo, DR | 03.0 |
2 | Burundi | 03.5 |
3 | Bangladesh | 04.3 |
... | ||
114 | Slovakia | 63.5 |
115 | China | 63.6 |
116 | Netherlands | 63.8 |
117 | Malaysia | 65.3 |
118 | Belgium | 66.2 |
119 | Gabon | 66.3 |
120 | Sweden | 66.9 |
121 | Romania | 67.1 |
Asia Avg | 46.7 | |
World Avg | 52.5 | |
q=185. |
Green Future Index Higher is better44 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2023 Score44 | |
1 | Iceland | 6.7 |
2 | Finland | 6.7 |
3 | Norway | 6.4 |
... | ||
65 | Ghana | 3.8 |
66 | Uganda | 3.7 |
67 | Pakistan | 3.7 |
68 | Malaysia | 3.7 |
69= | Guatemala | 3.6 |
69= | Russia | 3.6 |
71 | Paraguay | 3.6 |
72 | Bangladesh | 3.5 |
Asia Avg | 4.3 | |
World Avg | 4.8 | |
q=76. |
#education #intelligence #it_security #modernity #politics #religion #religiosity #research #science #secularisation #technology #the_internet
Compared to Asia (2020)45 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank45 | |
1 | S. Korea | 22.2 |
2 | Japan | 24.7 |
3 | Israel | 29.5 |
4 | Hong Kong | 31.2 |
5 | Singapore | 34.1 |
6 | Russia | 44.3 |
7 | Cyprus | 55.6 |
8 | Turkey | 55.9 |
9 | Malaysia | 59.4 |
10 | Kazakhstan | 59.8 |
11= | Saudi Arabia | 62.0 |
12 | UAE | 64.3 |
13 | Georgia | 65.6 |
Asia Avg | 78.26 | |
q=49. |
Modernity & Learning (2020)45 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank45 | |
1 | Finland | 7.1 |
2 | Belgium | 12.9 |
3 | Denmark | 13.6 |
... | ||
53 | S. Africa | 56.9 |
54 | Serbia | 57.1 |
55 | Uruguay | 57.6 |
56 | Malaysia | 59.4 |
57 | Kazakhstan | 59.8 |
58= | Saudi Arabia | 62.0 |
58= | Tonga | 62.0 |
60 | UAE | 64.3 |
World Avg | 86.31 | |
q=190. |
The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Belgium and Denmark46. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone46. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots47.
“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”
Bill Emmott (2017)48
15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe46, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia46.
For more, see:
Modernity and Education:
Research & Development Higher is better | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2016 % RDP PPP | |
1 | S. Korea | 4.2949 |
2 | Israel | 4.1149 |
3 | Japan | 3.5849 |
... | ||
30 | Russia | 1.1949 |
31 | New Zealand | 1.1750 |
32 | Brazil | 1.1551 |
33 | Malaysia | 1.1351 |
34 | Turkey | 1.0149 |
35 | Lithuania | 0.9552 |
36 | Poland | 0.9449 |
37= | Slovakia | 0.8949 |
Asia Avg | 0.75 | |
World Avg | 0.84 | |
q=126. |
Secondary Education Higher is better53 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 201853 | |
1= | Luxembourg | 100.0% |
1= | Estonia | 100.0% |
1= | Austria | 100.0% |
... | ||
55 | France | 83.5% |
56 | Sri Lanka | 82.8% |
57 | Bosnia & Herzegovina | 81.2% |
58 | Malaysia | 80.8% |
59 | Cyprus | 80.3% |
60 | Singapore | 79.6% |
61 | Italy | 79.6% |
62 | Hong Kong | 79.4% |
Asia Avg | 66.0% | |
World Avg | 63.0% | |
q=169. |
Length of Schooling Higher is better54 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2021 Years54 | |
1 | Australia | 21.1 |
2 | New Zealand | 20.3 |
3 | Greece | 20.0 |
... | ||
96 | Jamaica | 13.4 |
97 | Sao Tome & Principe | 13.4 |
98 | Palestine | 13.4 |
99 | Malaysia | 13.3 |
100 | Dominica | 13.3 |
101 | Andorra | 13.3 |
102 | Bhutan | 13.2 |
103 | Turkmenistan | 13.2 |
Asia Avg | 13.5 | |
World Avg | 13.5 | |
q=193. |
Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better32 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2017 Rank32 | |
1 | Ukraine | 1 |
2 | Czechia | 2 |
3 | Hungary | 3 |
... | ||
49 | Norway | 49 |
50 | Fiji | 50 |
51 | Dominica | 51 |
52 | Malaysia | 52 |
53 | Russia | 53 |
54 | St Lucia | 54 |
55 | Turkey | 55 |
56 | Armenia | 56 |
Asia Avg | 97.1 | |
World Avg | 82.0 | |
q=163. |
Religiosity Lower is better55 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2018 %55 | |
1 | China | 3 |
2 | Estonia | 6 |
3 | Czechia | 7 |
... | ||
66= | Ecuador | 76 |
66= | Costa Rica | 76 |
68 | Puerto Rico | 77 |
69= | Malaysia | 77 |
69= | Colombia | 77 |
71 | Dominican Rep. | 78 |
72= | Iran | 78 |
72= | Tunisia | 78 |
Asia Avg | 55.8 | |
World Avg | 54.3 | |
q=106. |
IQ Higher is better56 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 200656 | |
1= | Hong Kong | 108 |
1= | Singapore | 108 |
3 | S. Korea | 106 |
... | ||
46= | Argentina | 93 |
46= | Bulgaria | 93 |
48 | Ireland | 92 |
49= | Malaysia | 92 |
49= | Greece | 92 |
51 | Brunei | 91 |
52= | Thailand | 91 |
52= | Lithuania | 91 |
Asia Avg | 90.4 | |
World Avg | 85.6 | |
q=138. |
Technology and Information:
Internet Users Higher is better57 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 201657 | |
1 | Iceland | 100% |
2 | Faroe Islands | 99% |
3 | Norway | 98% |
... | ||
58= | Macedonia | 69% |
58= | Argentina | 69% |
60 | Trinidad & Tobago | 69% |
61 | Malaysia | 69% |
62 | Greenland | 67% |
63 | Portugal | 67% |
64 | Brazil | 66% |
65 | St Kitts & Nevis | 66% |
Asia Avg | 48.7% | |
World Avg | 48.1% | |
q=201. |
Freedom On The Internet Lower is better58 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 201258 | |
1 | Estonia | 10 |
2 | USA | 12 |
3 | Germany | 15 |
... | ||
20 | India | 39 |
21 | Indonesia | 42 |
22= | Libya | 43 |
22= | Malaysia | 43 |
24 | Jordan | 45 |
25= | Turkey | 46 |
25= | Tunisia | 46 |
27 | Venezuela | 48 |
Asia Avg | 56.6 | |
World Avg | 46.7 | |
q=47. |
IT Security Lower is better59 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 201359 | |
1= | Ireland | 0.11 |
1= | Luxembourg | 0.11 |
1= | Belize | 0.11 |
... | ||
39 | Spain | 0.88 |
40 | Kuwait | 0.93 |
41 | Saudi Arabia | 0.93 |
42 | Malaysia | 0.96 |
43 | Canada | 0.96 |
44 | Tajikistan | 1.01 |
45 | Brazil | 1.02 |
46 | Indonesia | 1.05 |
Asia Avg | 1.08 | |
World Avg | 0.98 | |
IPv6 Uptake Higher is better60 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2017 Ratio60 | |
1 | Belgium | 55.4 |
2 | Germany | 41.8 |
3 | Switzerland | 35.1 |
... | ||
14 | Peru | 18.3 |
15 | Ecuador | 18.2 |
16 | Estonia | 17.6 |
17 | Malaysia | 16.5 |
18 | Norway | 14.7 |
19 | Australia | 14.6 |
20 | Trinidad & Tobago | 14.5 |
21 | Finland | 14.1 |
Asia Avg | 2.11 | |
World Avg | 3.82 | |
q=176. |
Digital Quality of Life Higher is better61 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 202461 | |
1 | Germany | 77.9% |
2 | Finland | 76.9% |
3 | France | 73.9% |
... | ||
38 | Greece | 58.9% |
39 | Qatar | 58.6% |
40 | Saudi Arabia | 57.5% |
41 | Malaysia | 57.5% |
42 | Argentina | 56.2% |
43 | UAE | 55.8% |
44 | Chile | 55.0% |
45 | China | 54.8% |
Asia Avg | 46.4% | |
World Avg | 48.4% | |
q=121. |
#capitalism #charitability #charity #corruption #culture #economics #equality #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #life_expectancy #morals #peace #politics #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism
Compared to Asia (2020)62 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank62 | |
1 | Singapore | 20.2 |
2 | Taiwan | 37.2 |
3 | Hong Kong | 40.5 |
... | ||
7 | Cyprus | 47.4 |
8 | Bhutan | 49.2 |
9 | S. Korea | 49.5 |
10 | Malaysia | 55.4 |
11 | Oman | 61.8 |
12 | Mongolia | 62.1 |
13 | Jordan | 65.4 |
14 | Indonesia | 65.9 |
15 | Kuwait | 66.3 |
Asia Avg | 79.59 | |
q=49. |
Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)62 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank62 | |
1 | Denmark | 11.2 |
2 | Norway | 13.9 |
3 | Netherlands | 14.4 |
... | ||
41 | Croatia | 52.9 |
42 | USA | 54.1 |
43 | Romania | 54.4 |
44 | Malaysia | 55.4 |
45 | Chile | 57.4 |
46 | Lithuania | 59.6 |
47 | Moldova | 59.7 |
48 | Latvia | 60.1 |
World Avg | 78.12 | |
q=180. |
This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 22 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, Inequality in Life Expectancy, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.
For more, see:
National Culture:
World Giving Index Higher is better63 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2022 %63 | |
1 | Indonesia | 68.0 |
2 | Kenya | 61.0 |
3 | USA | 59.0 |
... | ||
56= | Slovakia | 41.0 |
56= | Germany | 41.0 |
58 | Nepal | 40.0 |
59= | Malaysia | 40.0 |
59= | Nicaragua | 40.0 |
59= | Senegal | 40.0 |
59= | Estonia | 40.0 |
59= | Uruguay | 40.0 |
Asia Avg | 37.9 | |
World Avg | 39.6 | |
q=125. |
Corruption Higher is better64 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2022 Points64 | |
1 | Denmark | 90.0 |
2= | Finland | 87.0 |
2= | New Zealand | 87.0 |
... | ||
59 | Namibia | 49.0 |
60 | Vanuatu | 48.0 |
61= | Jordan | 47.0 |
61= | Malaysia | 47.0 |
63 | Armenia | 46.0 |
64= | Romania | 46.0 |
65 | China | 45.0 |
66= | Sao Tome & Principe | 45.0 |
Asia Avg | 39.98 | |
World Avg | 42.98 | |
q=180. |
Happiness Higher is better65 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2024 Score65 | |
1 | Finland | 7.7 |
2 | Denmark | 7.5 |
3 | Iceland | 7.5 |
... | ||
61 | Colombia | 6.0 |
62 | Ecuador | 6.0 |
63 | Honduras | 6.0 |
64 | Malaysia | 6.0 |
65 | Peru | 5.9 |
66 | Russia | 5.9 |
67 | Cyprus | 5.9 |
68 | China | 5.9 |
Asia Avg | 5.41 | |
World Avg | 5.58 | |
q=147. |
Creativity & Culture Lower is better32 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2017 Rank32 | |
1 | Belgium | 1 |
2 | Netherlands | 2 |
3 | Estonia | 3 |
... | ||
38 | Croatia | 38 |
39 | Bulgaria | 39 |
40 | Marshall Islands | 40 |
41 | Malaysia | 41 |
42 | Namibia | 42 |
43 | St Vincent & Grenadines | 43 |
44 | Cyprus | 44 |
45 | Japan | 45 |
Asia Avg | 99.0 | |
World Avg | 82.0 | |
q=163. |
Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better32 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2017 Rank32 | |
1 | Ireland | 1 |
2 | Denmark | 2 |
3 | Sweden | 3 |
... | ||
16 | Togo | 16 |
17 | France | 17 |
18 | Singapore | 18 |
19 | Malaysia | 19 |
20 | Nicaragua | 20 |
21 | Portugal | 21 |
22 | Moldova | 22 |
23 | Hungary | 23 |
Asia Avg | 86.3 | |
World Avg | 82.0 | |
q=163. |
Peace Versus Instability:
Global Peace Index Lower is better66 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2023 Score66 | |
1 | Iceland | 1.12 |
2 | Denmark | 1.31 |
3 | Ireland | 1.31 |
... | ||
16 | Netherlands | 1.49 |
17 | Bhutan | 1.50 |
18 | Hungary | 1.51 |
19 | Malaysia | 1.51 |
20 | Belgium | 1.52 |
21 | Qatar | 1.52 |
22 | Australia | 1.53 |
23 | Mauritius | 1.55 |
Asia Avg | 2.17 | |
World Avg | 2.07 | |
q=163. |
Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better32 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2017 Rank32 | |
1 | Samoa | 1 |
2 | S. Africa | 2 |
3 | Tunisia | 3 |
... | ||
31 | Jordan | 31 |
32 | India | 32 |
33 | New Zealand | 33 |
34 | Malaysia | 34 |
35 | S. Korea | 35 |
36 | Qatar | 36 |
37 | Germany | 37 |
38 | Togo | 38 |
Asia Avg | 76.0 | |
World Avg | 82.0 | |
q=163. |
Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better32 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2017 Rank32 | |
1 | Austria | 1 |
2 | Germany | 2 |
3 | Netherlands | 3 |
... | ||
37 | Uruguay | 37 |
38 | Liberia | 38 |
39 | Turkey | 39 |
40 | Malaysia | 40 |
41 | Montenegro | 41 |
42 | Iceland | 42 |
43 | Hungary | 43 |
44 | Kenya | 44 |
Asia Avg | 92.2 | |
World Avg | 82.0 | |
q=163. |
Impact of Terrorism Lower is better67 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2019 Score67 | |
1 | Togo | 0.00 |
2 | Mongolia | 0.00 |
3 | Swaziland | 0.00 |
... | ||
74 | Netherlands | 2.35 |
75 | Ecuador | 2.46 |
76 | Kuwait | 2.49 |
77 | Malaysia | 2.50 |
78 | Brazil | 2.53 |
79 | Ivory Coast | 2.60 |
80 | Australia | 2.65 |
81 | Congo, (Brazzaville) | 2.69 |
Asia Avg | 3.60 | |
World Avg | 2.78 | |
q=150. |
Economic Inequality and Poverty:
Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better68 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 201968 | |
1 | Iceland | 2.40 |
2= | Singapore | 2.50 |
2= | Hong Kong | 2.50 |
... | ||
45 | Qatar | 5.70 |
46 | Kuwait | 5.90 |
47 | Maldives | 6.00 |
48= | Malaysia | 6.10 |
48= | Bulgaria | 6.10 |
50 | Chile | 6.30 |
51= | USA | 6.30 |
51= | Romania | 6.30 |
Asia Avg | 11.80 | |
World Avg | 14.59 | |
q=184. |
Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better69 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2023 %69 | |
1 | Slovakia | 24.1%70 |
2 | Slovenia | 24.3%70 |
3 | Belarus | 24.4%71 |
... | ||
123= | Argentina | 40.7%72 |
123= | Sao Tome & Principe | 40.7%73 |
123= | Philippines | 40.7%70 |
123= | Malaysia | 40.7%70 |
127 | Bolivia | 40.9%70 |
128 | Haiti | 41.1%74 |
129 | USA | 41.3%72 |
130 | Djibouti | 41.6%73 |
Asia Avg | 33.0% | |
World Avg | 36.5% | |
q=167. |
#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #malaysia #religion #religion_in_malaysia #religiosity #secularisation
Religiosity (2018)55 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better %55 | |
1 | China | 3 |
2 | Estonia | 6 |
3 | Czechia | 7 |
... | ||
66= | Ecuador | 76 |
66= | Costa Rica | 76 |
68 | Puerto Rico | 77 |
69= | Malaysia | 77 |
69= | Colombia | 77 |
71 | Dominican Rep. | 78 |
72= | Iran | 78 |
72= | Tunisia | 78 |
74 | Bangladesh | 80 |
75= | India | 80 |
76 | Iraq | 82 |
77= | El Salvador | 85 |
77= | Jordan | 85 |
79 | Palestine | 86 |
80= | Uganda | 86 |
80= | Chad | 86 |
World Avg | 54.3 | |
q=106. |
Disbelief In God (2007)75 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Higher is better %75 | |
1 | Vietnam | 81 |
2 | Japan | 65 |
3 | Sweden | 64 |
... | ||
104= | Yemen | 0 |
104= | Zambia | 0 |
104= | Tanzania | 0 |
104= | Malaysia | 0 |
104= | Haiti | 0 |
104= | Iraq | 0 |
104= | Guinea | 0 |
104= | Ghana | 0 |
104= | Jordan | 0 |
104= | Gambia | 0 |
104= | Kenya | 0 |
104= | Ethiopia | 0 |
104= | Afghanistan | 0 |
104= | Egypt | 0 |
104= | Liberia | 0 |
104= | Libya | 0 |
World Avg | 9.9 | |
q=137. |
Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below76:
Christian | 9.4% |
Muslim | 63.7% |
Hindu | 6% |
Buddhist | 17.7% |
Folk Religion | 2.3% |
Jewish | 0.1% |
Unaffiliated | 0.7% |
It appears that when asked "What religion are you" many give pollsters the 'correct' answer despite how they actually feel, and despite what they actually believe. Although 99.2% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 77% say that they are religious when the question is phrased as "Is religion an important part of your daily life?".
For more on this phenomenon, see:
"Institutionalized Religions Have Their Numbers Inflated by National Polls" by Vexen Crabtree (2009)
The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Muslim (or Islam - official) 60.4%, Buddhist 19.2%, Christian 9.1%, Hindu 6.3%, Confucianism, Taoism, other traditional Chinese religions 2.6%, other or unknown 1.5%, none 0.8% (2000 census)77.
Freedom of Religion and Belief: Malaysia has a particular problem when it comes to human rights surrounding freedom of belief, with non-Muslims facing persecution and legal restrictions impacting on many aspects of their personal lives27, and deconversion from Islam is difficult, impossible, and illegal78.
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