Malaysia

Malaysia
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	62nd 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

1. Overview
2. Malaysia National and Social Development
3. Malaysia's Demographics and Migration
4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Malaysia's Health
6. Malaysia's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Malaysia's Modernity and Learning
8. National Culture
9. Peace Versus Instability
10. Economic Inequality and Poverty
11. Religion and Beliefs
12. Links

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1. Overview

“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.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Malaysia National and Social Development

#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=	Costa Rica	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	27.4
2	Norway	27.6
3	Sweden	30.4
	...
59	Ukraine	75.9
60	Dominica	77.0
61	Macedonia	77.1
62	Malaysia	77.1
63	Jamaica	77.6
64	Bosnia & Herzegovina	77.6
65	Turkey	77.7
66	Seychelles	77.8
	Asia Avg	92.0
	World Avg	89.7
q=198.

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.

3. Malaysia's Demographics and Migration

#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 8.86.₁₃

Population2
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.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

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.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#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	8.5
2	Denmark	13.5
3	Norway	13.5
	...
168	UAE	124.7
169	Samoa	125.3
170	Iraq	125.5
171	Malaysia	125.9
172	Yemen	127.3
173	Central African Rep.	127.5
	Asia Avg	103.0
	World Avg	87.8
q=200.

Malaysia is amongst the worst places in the world at ensuring human rights and freedom, and it has severe cultural issues when it comes to tolerance and equality. Malaysia does worse than average in its average Freedom in the World rating (still good for Asia), supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₁₉, eliminating modern slavery₂₀, supporting press freedom₂₁, LGBT equality₂₂ and in freethought₂₃. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 in terms of the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₂₄, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₅, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₆ (one of the lowest in Asia) and in its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₇ (amongst the lowest in Asia). Malaysia "continued its crackdown on critical voices and human rights defenders in 2017". Malaysia already persecutes non-Muslims and thoroughly rejects human rights, but in 2017 it continued to deepen its Islam-based intolerance and prejudice even further₂₈, and in 2017 was considering giving Shariah courts more powers₂₈. Anti-free-speech laws are used to persecute critics even for minor and indirect criticisms of government policy₂₈. LGBT and women's rights are both rejected.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

• Human Rights and Freedom in Malaysia

5. Malaysia's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #malaysia #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #vaccines

Compared to Asia (2020)29
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank29
1	Maldives	41.7
2	Sri Lanka	43.1
3	Malaysia	53.1
4	Bhutan	57.9
5	Hong Kong	58.0
6	Kuwait	58.1
7	Bangladesh	58.5
8	Brunei	59.1
9	N. Korea	60.0
10	Singapore	60.3
11	Saudi Arabia	63.0
12	Qatar	64.6
13	Nepal	65.0
	Asia Avg	80.9
q=50.

Health (2020)29
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank29
1	Monaco	13.0
2	Maldives	41.7
3	Sri Lanka	43.1
4	Liechtenstein	50.0
5	Malaysia	53.1
6	Bhutan	57.9
7	Hong Kong	58.0
8	Kuwait	58.1
9	Bangladesh	58.5
10	Brunei	59.1
11	N. Korea	60.0
12	Singapore	60.3
	World Avg	95.1
q=198.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, The Maldives and Sri Lanka₃₀. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are S. Sudan, The Marshall Islands and Nigeria₃₀.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are 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, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Asia and The Mediterranean₃₀, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Australasia₃₀.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

Health:

Public health in Malaysia is very good. Malaysia does better than average when it comes to its alcohol consumption rate₃₁, its fertility rate₁₄, its adolescent birth rate₃₂, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₃, its immunizations take-up₃₄ and in its average life expectancy₁₁. But, there's bad news too. Malaysia does worse than average in its smoking rate₃₅ (still low for Asia). The number 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 better31
Pos.		2016 Per Capita31
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 better33
Pos.		2017 Rank33
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 better36
Pos.		2016 %36
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
	...
66	Gabon	40.2
67	Namibia	40.6
68	Brunei	41.2
69	Malaysia	42.5
70	Botswana	43.4
71	Tajikistan	45.3
72	Trinidad & Tobago	46.0
73	Antigua & Barbuda	48.0
	Asia Avg	44.3
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better32
Pos.		2015 Per 100032
1	N. Korea	0.5
2	S. Korea	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
	...
42	Estonia	13.1
43	Poland	13.4
44	Bahrain	13.5
45	Malaysia	13.6
46	Latvia	13.6
47	Australia	14.1
48	UK	14.6
49	Sri Lanka	14.8
	Asia Avg	29.9
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better34
Pos.		2015 Avg %34
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.

6. Malaysia's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #energy #food #meat #over-exploitation #sustainability #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Asia (2023)37
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank37
1	Japan	33.2
2	Philippines	45.0
3	Sri Lanka	49.0
	...
12=	Nepal	68.8
13	Armenia	69.5
14=	Singapore	69.5
15	Malaysia	74.4
16	Yemen	76.7
17	Georgia	78.0
18=	Taiwan	78.7
19	Cyprus	79.3
20	Iran	82.6
	Asia Avg	88.8
q=51.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2023)37
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank37
1	Japan	33.2
2	Philippines	45.0
3	Uruguay	48.0
	...
61	Romania	72.4
62	Trinidad & Tobago	73.5
63	Mali	74.3
64	Malaysia	74.4
65	Vanuatu	75.0
66	Nicaragua	75.5
67=	Guatemala	76.2
67=	Ghana	76.2
	World Avg	85.7
q=188.

Malaysia is 64th in the world regarding its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is calculated from 7 data sets. Malaysia does better than average for the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₃₈, how quickly it ratified the 1993 Convention on Biological Diversity and in its environmental performance₃₉. Malaysia does not succeed in everything, however. Malaysia does worse than average in energy to GDP efficiency₄₀, reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₁ and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₂. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 in its score on the Green Future Index₄₃.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better42
Pos.		Total42
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 better39
Pos.		201839
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 Higher is better40
Pos.		201440
1	Hong Kong	26.32
2	Sri Lanka	20.00
3	Panama	17.86
	...
68	UAE	08.13
69=	Jamaica	08.06
69=	Senegal	08.06
71	Malaysia	08.00
72	Bolivia	07.87
73	Brunei	07.81
74	Armenia	07.69
75	New Zealand	07.63
	Asia Avg	09.14
	World Avg	09.29
q=119.

Convention on Biological Diversity Earlier is better
Pos.		Total Signed
1=	China	1993 Dec 29
1=	Guinea	1993 Dec 29
1=	Cook Islands	1993 Dec 29
	...
62	Chad	1994 Sep 05
63	Gambia	1994 Sep 08
64	Micronesia	1994 Sep 18
65	Malaysia	1994 Sep 22
66	Benin	1994 Sep 28
67	France	1994 Sep 29
68	Netherlands	1994 Oct 10
69=	Pakistan	1994 Oct 24
	Asia Avg	1899 Dec 30
	World Avg	1899 Dec 30
q=197.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better38
Pos.		2011 %38
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 better43
Pos.		2023 Score43
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.

7. Malaysia's Modernity and Learning

#education #intelligence #it_security #modernity #politics #religion #religiosity #research #science #secularisation #technology #the_internet

Compared to Asia (2020)44
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank44
1	Taiwan	10.0
2	Japan	21.0
3	S. Korea	23.6
4	Singapore	26.1
5	Israel	31.3
6	Hong Kong	32.6
7	Russia	41.5
8	Malaysia	49.3
9	Turkey	50.0
10	Macau	50.8
11	Cyprus	51.1
12	UAE	54.4
13	Saudi Arabia	58.1
	Asia Avg	78.3
q=51.

Modernity & Learning (2020)44
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank44
1	Finland	7.7
2	Taiwan	10.0
3	Switzerland	14.7
	...
42	Romania	45.8
43	Ukraine	47.1
44	Liechtenstein	47.7
45	Malaysia	49.3
46	Malta	49.4
47	Turkey	50.0
48	Macau	50.8
49	Chile	50.8
	World Avg	82.7
q=205.

Modernity and Education:

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.2945
2	Israel	4.1145
3	Japan	3.5845
	...
30	Russia	1.1945
31	New Zealand	1.1746
32	Brazil	1.1547
33	Malaysia	1.1347
34	Turkey	1.0145
35	Lithuania	0.9548
36	Poland	0.9445
37=	Slovakia	0.8945
	Asia Avg	0.75
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education Higher is better49
Pos.		201849
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 better50
Pos.		2021 Years50
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 better33
Pos.		2017 Rank33
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 better51
Pos.		2018 %51
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 better52
Pos.		200652
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 better53
Pos.		201653
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 better54
Pos.		201254
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 better55
Pos.		201355
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 better56
Pos.		2017 Ratio56
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 better57
Pos.		202457
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.

8. National Culture

#charity #corruption #happiness #morals #politics

World Giving Index Higher is better58
Pos.		2022 %58
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 better59
Pos.		2022 Points59
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 better60
Pos.		2018 Score60
1	Finland	7.6
2	Norway	7.6
3	Denmark	7.6
	...
32	Qatar	6.4
33	Saudi Arabia	6.4
34	Singapore	6.3
35	Malaysia	6.3
36	Spain	6.3
37	Colombia	6.3
38	Trinidad & Tobago	6.2
39	Slovakia	6.2
	Asia Avg	5.29
	World Avg	5.38
q=156.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better33
Pos.		2017 Rank33
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 better33
Pos.		2017 Rank33
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.

9. Peace Versus Instability

#extremism #human_development #peace #politics #religious_violence #terrorism

Global Peace Index Lower is better61
Pos.		2023 Score61
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 better33
Pos.		2017 Rank33
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 better33
Pos.		2017 Rank33
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 better62
Pos.		2019 Score62
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.

10. Economic Inequality and Poverty

#capitalism #economics #health #inequality #life_expectancy #social_development

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better63
Pos.		201963
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 better64
Pos.		2023 %64
1	Slovakia	24.1%65
2	Slovenia	24.3%65
3	Belarus	24.4%66
	...
123=	Sao Tome & Principe	40.7%67
123=	Philippines	40.7%65
123=	Argentina	40.7%68
123=	Malaysia	40.7%65
127	Bolivia	40.9%65
128	Haiti	41.1%69
129	USA	41.3%68
130	Djibouti	41.6%67
	Asia Avg	33.0%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

11. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #malaysia #religion #religion_in_malaysia #religiosity #secularisation

Religiosity (2018)51
Pos.		Lower is better %51
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)70
Pos.		Higher is better %70
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 below₇₁:

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

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)₇₂.

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 lives₂₈, and deconversion from Islam is difficult, impossible, and illegal₇₃.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?
• Human Rights and Freedom in Malaysia: 4.3. Freedom of Thought