Malaysia

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
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. Malaysia's Culture, Peace and Inequality
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. 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=	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	29.7
2	Norway	33.6
3	Switzerland	35.2
	...
52	Montenegro	73.8
53	San Marino	76.1
54	Serbia	76.7
55	Malaysia	76.8
56	Albania	76.9
57	Tunisia	77.0
58	Peru	77.5
59	Macedonia	77.8
	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.

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. 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 Datasets:

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 for 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 terms of the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₂₃, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₄, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₅ (one of the lowest in Asia) and in its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₆ (one of 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	41.9
2	Hong Kong	47.0
3	Singapore	49.2
4	S. Korea	50.4
5	N. Korea	52.0
6=	Sri Lanka	53.0
7	China	57.9
8	Malaysia	63.7
9	Vietnam	65.3
10	Brunei	66.9
11	Thailand	69.3
12	Israel	78.0
13	Cyprus	78.2
	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
	...
26	Australia	62.9
27	Luxembourg	63.4
28	Finland	63.5
29	Malaysia	63.7
30	Italy	64.1
31	Slovenia	64.2
32	Vietnam	65.3
33	St Martin	66.7
	World Avg	96.49
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 Marshall Islands, The Cook Islands and S. Sudan₂₉.

27 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 Mediterranean₂₉, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Melanesia and Australasia₂₉.

For more, see:

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

Health Datasets:

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, the prevalence of overweight adults₃₄ and in its average life expectancy₁₁. Malaysia does not succeed in everything, however. Malaysia does worse than average in its smoking rate₃₅. The prevalence 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.

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 in the 2020s Lower is better35
Pos.		Total %35
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.

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 Datasets:

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)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:

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

Malaysia ranks 120th in the world when it comes to its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is computed from 21 data sets. Malaysia does better than average when it comes to 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 when it comes to 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-performing 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.

7. Malaysia's Modernity and Learning

#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:

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

Modernity and Education Datasets:

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 Datasets:

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.

8. Malaysia's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#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:

• "Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

National Culture Datasets:

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 Datasets:

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 Datasets:

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.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#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.

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