Malaysia

https://www.humantruth.info/malaysia.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

Malaysia
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	59th 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

“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=	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	27.0
2	Norway	29.9
3	Sweden	31.8
	...
56	Macedonia	75.9
57	San Marino	76.1
58	Tunisia	76.2
59	Malaysia	76.6
60	Peru	77.4
61	Moldova	77.6
62	Bosnia & Herzegovina	77.7
63	Dominica	77.7
	Asia Avg	92.0
	World Avg	88.6
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.

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.

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	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.

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 when it comes to its average Freedom in the World rating (still good for Asia), supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₁₉, eliminating modern slavery₂₀, LGBT equality₂₁ and in freethought₂₂. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 in the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₂₃, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₄, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₅ (amongst the worst in Asia) and in its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₆ (amongst the worst 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 further₂₇, and in 2017 was considering giving Shariah courts more powers₂₇. Anti-free-speech laws are used to persecute critics even for minor and indirect criticisms of government policy₂₇. 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 (2025)₂₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₈
1=	Japan	44.1
2	Hong Kong	48.2
3	Singapore	49.5
4	N. Korea	52.9
5	Sri Lanka	54.3
6	S. Korea	55.4
7	Malaysia	58.6
8	Brunei	61.4
9	Cyprus	63.1
10=	Kuwait	66.8
10=	China	66.8
12	Bahrain	69.3
13	Israel	70.2
	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
	...
35	Faroe Islands	58.3
36	Channel Islands	58.4
37	USA	58.5
38	Malaysia	58.6
39	Slovenia	59.4
40	Malta	59.9
41	Austria	60.1
42	Spain	60.4
	World Avg	96.74
q=212.

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 S. Sudan, Angola and Nigeria₂₉.

21 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, 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 Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia₂₉.

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 rate₃₀, its fertility rate₁₄, its adolescent birth rate₃₁, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₂, its immunizations take-up₃₃ and in its average life expectancy₁₁. Malaysia does not succeed in everything, however. Malaysia does worse than average for its smoking rate₃₄ (still low for Asia). The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the past 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 better₃₄
Pos.		2014₃₄
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 better₃₅
Pos.		2016 %₃₅
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 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.

6. Malaysia's Responsibility Towards The Environment

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

Compared to Asia (2025)₃₆
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₆
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)₃₆
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₆
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.

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:

" Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

When it comes to its responsibility towards the environment, Malaysia comes 120th in the world. This rank is derived from 7 data sets. Malaysia does better than average for the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₃₇, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment and in its environmental performance₃₈. But, things still need to improve in Malaysia. Malaysia does worse than average in terms of reducing annual meat consumption per person₃₉, energy to GDP efficiency₄₀ and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₁. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 in its score on the Green Future Index₄₂.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better₄₁
Pos.		Total₄₁
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 better₃₈
Pos.		2018₃₈
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 better₄₀
Pos.		2022 Avg₄₀
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 better₃₇
Pos.		2011 %₃₇
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 better₃₉
Pos.		2021 kg₃₉
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 better₄₂
Pos.		2023 Score₄₂
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

#capitalism #charity #corruption #economics #education #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #intelligence #it_security #life_expectancy #modernity #morals #peace #politics #religion #religiosity #religious_violence #research #science #secularisation #social_development #technology #terrorism #the_internet

Compared to Asia (2020)₄₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₃
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)₄₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₃
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 Denmark₄₄. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₄₄. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₅.

“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)₄₆

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 Europe₄₄, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₄.

For more, see:

" Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Modernity and Education:

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.29₄₇
2	Israel	4.11₄₇
3	Japan	3.58₄₇
	...
30	Russia	1.19₄₇
31	New Zealand	1.17₄₈
32	Brazil	1.15₄₉
33	Malaysia	1.13₄₉
34	Turkey	1.01₄₇
35	Lithuania	0.95₅₀
36	Poland	0.94₄₇
37=	Slovakia	0.89₄₇
	Asia Avg	0.75
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education Higher is better₅₁
Pos.		2018₅₁
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 better₅₂
Pos.		2021 Years₅₂
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 better₅₃
Pos.		2018 %₅₃
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 better₅₄
Pos.		2006₅₄
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 better₅₅
Pos.		2016₅₅
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 better₅₆
Pos.		2012₅₆
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 better₅₇
Pos.		2013₅₇
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 better₅₈
Pos.		2017 Ratio₅₈
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 better₅₉
Pos.		2024₅₉
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.

National Culture:

World Giving Index Higher is better₆₀
Pos.		2022 %₆₀
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 better₆₁
Pos.		2022 Points₆₁
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 better₆₂
Pos.		2024 Score₆₂
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 better₆₃
Pos.		2023 Score₆₃
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 better₆₄
Pos.		2019 Score₆₄
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 better₆₅
Pos.		2019₆₅
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 better₆₆
Pos.		2023 %₆₆
1	Slovakia	24.1%₆₇
2	Slovenia	24.3%₆₇
3	Belarus	24.4%₆₈
	...
123=	Argentina	40.7%₆₉
123=	Sao Tome & Principe	40.7%₇₀
123=	Philippines	40.7%₆₇
123=	Malaysia	40.7%₆₇
127	Bolivia	40.9%₆₇
128	Haiti	41.1%₇₁
129	USA	41.3%₆₉
130	Djibouti	41.6%₇₀
	Asia Avg	33.0%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

8. Religion and Beliefs

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

Religiosity (2018)₅₃
Pos.		Lower is better %₅₃
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)₇₂
Pos.		Higher is better %₇₂
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 below₇₃:

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)₇₄.

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 illegal₇₅.

Links: