Malaysia

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

By Vexen Crabtree 2025

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

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	26.9
2	Norway	29.1
3	Sweden	29.9
	...
52	Thailand	69.8
53	Serbia	73.1
54	Sri Lanka	74.0
55	Malaysia	74.1
56	Albania	75.5
57	Macedonia	76.5
58	Cuba	77.1
59	Mexico	77.1
	Asia Avg	92.0
	World Avg	89.0
q=200.

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 Datasets:

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, once you take mortality into account₁₃. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₄

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. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₅
Pos.		2022₁₅
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. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better₁₆
Pos.		2016 Per 100₁₆
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 Datasets:

Immigrants₁₇
Pos.		2017 %₁₇
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.

Emigrants₁₈
Pos.		2010 %₁₈
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)₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₉
1	Sweden	7.8
2	Netherlands	8.7
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
145	Morocco	114.4
146	Gambia	115.0
147	Guinea-Bissau	115.8
148	Malaysia	117.2
149	Jordan	118.6
150	Solomon Islands	119.1
	Asia Avg	103.00
	World Avg	89.80
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 for combatting modern slavery₂₀, its average Freedom in the World rating (still good for Asia), supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₁, freethought₂₂ and in LGBT equality in the 2020s₂₃. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 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 (amongst the worst in Asia) and in its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₇ (one of 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 (2025)₂₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₉
1	Japan	37.3
2	Singapore	41.1
3	S. Korea	50.5
4	Sri Lanka	53.3
5	Brunei	56.0
6	Malaysia	60.1
7	Hong Kong	61.0
8	China	63.7
9	Israel	65.0
10	Cyprus	65.8
11	N. Korea	68.8
12	Thailand	69.1
13	Bahrain	70.0
	Asia Avg	80.90
q=50.

Health (2025)₂₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₉
1	Monaco	10.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Japan	37.3
	...
18	Brunei	56.0
19	Italy	56.9
20	Slovenia	58.6
21	Malaysia	60.1
22	Australia	60.4
23	Portugal	60.4
24	Hong Kong	61.0
25	Spain	61.6
	World Avg	97.57
q=207.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and Japan₃₀. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₃₀.

42 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, delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 and childhood mortality. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₃₀, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia₃₀.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

5.1. Health Datasets

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #malaysia #obesity #overpopulation #smoking

Public health in Malaysia is very good. Malaysia does better than average in its alcohol consumption rate₃₁, its fertility rate₁₅, its adolescent birth rate₃₂, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₃, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015₃₄, childhood mortality in the 2020s₃₅, the prevalence of overweight adults₃₆, its average life expectancy₁₁ and in delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations in the 2020s₃₇. Malaysia doesn't do so well in other areas. Malaysia does worse than average in terms of its smoking rate₃₈. The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% between 1976 and 2016. 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. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

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
25=	Malaysia	0.9
25=	Comoros	0.9
28=	Iran	1.0
28=	Vanuatu	1.0
30	Papua New Guinea	1.2
	Asia Avg	3.9
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₅
Pos.		2022₁₅
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. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better₃₈
Pos.		Total %₃₈
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
	...
95=	Netherlands	21.3%
95=	Germany	21.3%
97	Yemen	21.4%
98	Malaysia	22.0%
99	Albania	22.0%
100	Kazakhstan	22.2%
101	Finland	22.3%
102	Italy	22.5%
	Asia Avg	22.8%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

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.		1976 %₃₆
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 better₃₉
Pos.		2022 %₃₉
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. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

5.2. Children's Health Datasets

#children's_health #health #parenting #population #vaccines

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better₃₂
Pos.		2022 Per 1000₃₂
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. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Higher is better₃₇
Pos.		Total Avg %₃₇
1=	Luxembourg	99.0
1=	Oman	99.0
1=	Niue	99.0
	...
74=	Botswana	95.6
74=	Uruguay	95.6
74=	Spain	95.6
74=	Malaysia	95.6
78	Mauritius	95.5
79	Croatia	95.3
80	Czechia	95.1
81	Kenya	94.9
	Asia Avg	90.6
	World Avg	88.5
q=211. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

7x 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.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		Total Per 1000₃₅
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
48	Bahrain	7.92
49	Chile	7.93
50	Qatar	7.95
51	Malaysia	8.13
52	Russia	8.36
53	Bulgaria	8.60
54	Uruguay	9.08
55	Sri Lanka	9.10
	Asia Avg	23.58
	World Avg	32.19
q=195. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

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)₄₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₀
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)₄₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₀
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"₄₁. 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:

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

Malaysia ranks 120th in the world in terms of its responsibility towards the environment. This is formulated from 21 data sets. Malaysia does better than average in terms of the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₂, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment and in its environmental performance₄₃. Malaysia doesn't do so well in other areas. Malaysia does worse than average in reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₄, energy to GDP efficiency₄₅ and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₆. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 when it comes to its score on the Green Future Index₄₇.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better₄₆
Pos.		Total₄₆
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 better₄₃
Pos.		2018₄₃
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 better₄₅
Pos.		2022 Avg₄₅
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. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

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. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better₄₂
Pos.		2011 %₄₂
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 better₄₄
Pos.		2021 kg₄₄
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. Also scored for 2010s.

Green Future Index Higher is better₄₇
Pos.		2023 Score₄₇
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 #metric #modernity #politics #religion #religiosity #research #science #secularisation #technology #the_internet

Compared to Asia (2025)₄₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₈
1	Taiwan	25.4
2	S. Korea	25.5
3	Japan	26.8
	...
10	Kazakhstan	48.2
11	Georgia	51.9
12	Uzbekistan	55.9
13	Malaysia	57.8
14	Kyrgyzstan	58.6
15	N. Korea	58.8
16	Armenia	58.9
17	Azerbaijan	60.6
18	China	64.1
	Asia Avg	83.04
q=51.

Modernity & Learning (2025)₄₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₈
1	Vatican City	1.0
2	Finland	4.8
3	Belgium	8.5
	...
63	Uzbekistan	55.9
64	Andorra	56.8
65	Ecuador	57.6
66	Malaysia	57.8
67	S. Africa	58.2
68	Kyrgyzstan	58.6
69	N. Korea	58.8
70	Armenia	58.9
	World Avg	80.33
q=194.

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 The Vatican City, Finland and Belgium₄₉. The worst countries are S. Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia₄₉. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₅₀.

“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)₅₁

23 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Intellectual Endeavours, metric system adoption rate, Religiosity, IQ, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Maths, Science & Reading, 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 Europe₄₉, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₉.

For more, see:

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

7.1. Modernity Datasets

#intelligence #metric #religion #religiosity #research #science #secularisation

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.29₅₂
2	Israel	4.11₅₂
3	Japan	3.58₅₂
	...
30	Russia	1.19₅₂
31	New Zealand	1.17₅₃
32	Brazil	1.15₅₄
33	Malaysia	1.13₅₄
34	Turkey	1.01₅₂
35	Lithuania	0.95₅₅
36	Poland	0.94₅₂
37=	Slovakia	0.89₅₂
	Asia Avg	0.75
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

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.

Metric System Adoption Rate Higher is better₅₆
Pos.		2025 %₅₆
1=	Slovakia	100
1=	Poland	100
1=	Portugal	100
	...
79=	Lithuania	95
79=	Macedonia	95
79=	Nicaragua	95
79=	Malaysia	95
79=	Morocco	95
79=	Montenegro	95
79=	Malta	95
79=	Moldova	95
	Asia Avg	90
	World Avg	92
q=187. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

Officially adopted metric in 1971. Progression:

1960 (50%): Traditional units dominant; metric in administration.
1970 (70%): Metrication accelerates; commerce/education shift.
1980 (90%): Metric dominant across sectors.
2000 (95%).
2025 (95%).

Religiosity Lower is better₅₇
Pos.		2018 %₅₇
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
66=	Ecuador	76
66=	Costa Rica	76
68=	Puerto Rico	77
68=	Malaysia	77
68=	Colombia	77
71=	Dominican Rep.	78
71=	Iran	78
71=	Tunisia	78
	Asia Avg	55.8
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ Higher is better₅₈
Pos.		2006₅₈
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
46=	Argentina	93
46=	Bulgaria	93
48=	Ireland	92
48=	Malaysia	92
48=	Greece	92
51=	Brunei	91
51=	Thailand	91
51=	Lithuania	91
	Asia Avg	90.4
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

7.2. Education Datasets

#education

Secondary Education Higher is better₅₉
Pos.		2018₅₉
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 better₆₀
Pos.		2021 Years₆₀
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. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

7.3. Technology and Information Datasets

#it_security #modernity #politics #technology #the_internet

Internet Users Higher is better₆₁
Pos.		2016₆₁
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 better₆₂
Pos.		2012₆₂
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 better₆₃
Pos.		2013₆₃
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 better₆₄
Pos.		2017 Ratio₆₄
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 better₆₅
Pos.		2024₆₅
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. Malaysia's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #charity #corruption #economics #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #internationalism #life_expectancy #morals #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism

8.1. National Culture Datasets

#charity #corruption #happiness #internationalism #morals #politics

World Giving Index Higher is better₆₆
Pos.		2022 %₆₆
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
56=	Slovakia	41.0
56=	Germany	41.0
58=	Nepal	40.0
58=	Malaysia	40.0
58=	Nicaragua	40.0
58=	Senegal	40.0
58=	Estonia	40.0
58=	Uruguay	40.0
	Asia Avg	37.9
	World Avg	39.6
q=125. Also scored for 2010s.

Corruption Higher is better₆₇
Pos.		2022 Points₆₇
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
63=	Romania	46.0
65=	China	45.0
65=	Sao Tome & Principe	45.0
	Asia Avg	39.98
	World Avg	42.98
q=180. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Happiness Higher is better₆₈
Pos.		2024 Score₆₈
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. Also scored for 2010s.

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.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better₆₉
Pos.		Total Q₆₉
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
	...
32=	Slovenia	182.2
32=	Estonia	182.2
34	Iceland	181.2
35	Malaysia	179.8
36	Liechtenstein	179.2
37	UAE	178.0
38	Cyprus	177.0
39	Croatia	176.2
	Asia Avg	85.1
	World Avg	108.8
q=195. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

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.

8.2. Peace Versus Instability Datasets

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

Global Peace Index Lower is better₇₀
Pos.		2023 Score₇₀
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. Also scored for 2010s.

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 better₇₁
Pos.		2019 Score₇₁
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.

8.3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets

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

Poverty (2020s) Lower is better₇₂
Pos.		Total %₇₂
1	Malaysia	0.01%
2	Bhutan	0.01%
3	Cyprus	0.02%
4	Thailand	0.03%
5	Ukraine	0.03%
6	Czechia	0.03%
7	Kazakhstan	0.04%
8	Russia	0.04%
9	Belgium	0.06%
10	Netherlands	0.07%
11	France	0.08%
12	Moldova	0.09%
	Asia Avg	3.54%
	World Avg	11.40%
q=106. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better₇₃
Pos.		2019₇₃
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
50=	USA	6.30
50=	Romania	6.30
	Asia Avg	11.80
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better₇₄
Pos.		2023 %₇₄
1	Slovakia	24.1%₇₅
2	Slovenia	24.3%₇₅
3	Belarus	24.4%₇₆
	...
123=	Argentina	40.7%₇₇
123=	Sao Tome & Principe	40.7%₇₈
123=	Philippines	40.7%₇₅
123=	Malaysia	40.7%₇₅
127	Bolivia	40.9%₇₅
128	Haiti	41.1%₇₉
129	USA	41.3%₇₇
130	Djibouti	41.6%₇₈
	Asia Avg	33.0%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167. Also scored for 1980s-2010s.

9. Religion and Beliefs

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

Religiosity (2018)₅₇
Pos.		Lower is better %₅₇
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
66=	Ecuador	76
66=	Costa Rica	76
68=	Puerto Rico	77
68=	Malaysia	77
68=	Colombia	77
71=	Dominican Rep.	78
71=	Iran	78
71=	Tunisia	78
74=	Bangladesh	80
74=	India	80
76	Iraq	82
77=	El Salvador	85
77=	Jordan	85
79=	Palestine	86
79=	Uganda	86
79=	Chad	86
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₈₀:

	2010	2020
Muslim	61.3%	64.1%
Buddhist	19.8%	18.9%
Christian	9.25%	9.15%
Hindu	6.28%	6.12%
Other	1.66%	0.887%
Unaffiliated	1.69%	0.845%
Jewish	None	None

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)₈₁.

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 illegal₈₂.

Links: