placestats

Last European coloniser: United Kingdom · Largest religious group: Muslims. These are labels that describe the country, not numbers, so they are never compared with other measures. The numbers behind them, such as population shares, are.

Malaysia

Against upper middle income countries, Malaysia ranks 4th of 56 on labour and 45th of 58 on environment. Each ranking counts only the countries that report that score, so the totals differ and the two ranks can’t be compared directly. Both compare Malaysia with countries of similar wealth. That is the only kind of ranking that tells you something a ranking by income does not already show.

How it has changed

Every measure Malaysia reports, over all the years it has been published. Pick one. Hover or use the arrow keys to read a year. Gaps in a line are years with no data. They are left open, not filled in.

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Scores by area

Each score averages the measures in one area, such as health. Each measure is first put on a common scale and turned so that higher is always better. Zero is the average country in an average year. One point is a typical gap between countries (a standard deviation), so +1 means about one typical gap above average. These are summaries, not measurements. See how the country scores are built and how the topic scores compare with each other.

ScoreValueRank, all countriesRank, similar incomeMostly income?
Governance score 2025+0.1793 of 17925 of 51moderate +0.53
Health score 2024-0.00105 of 19328 of 58moderate +0.32
Education score 2024+0.53110 of 19941 of 57proxy +0.81
Wellbeing score 2022+0.2148 of 11010 of 35high +0.80
Equality score 2021+0.1094 of 16532 of 53high +0.64
Infrastructure score 2024+1.0986 of 21019 of 58proxy +0.90
Gender score 2024-0.09139 of 18642 of 57moderate +0.37
Environment score 2024-0.61177 of 21345 of 58moderate -0.33
Labour score 2025+0.6547 of 1954 of 56high +0.79

The last column shows how closely each score just tracks national income. The number is its link with GDP per person (the value of everything a country produces, divided by its people), from −1 to +1. A score marked proxy is mostly a measure of how rich the country is. Its rank among all countries says little that GDP per person does not. That is why the rank among similar-income countries sits beside it.

The measures behind them

Every measure reported for Malaysia, grouped by area. Some measures have no agreed better direction, such as population growth, inflation and military spending. They are listed here but left out of every score, since there is no fair way to say which way is better. Some names use technical terms: PPP means adjusted for what money buys in each country, HDI is a United Nations score combining life expectancy, schooling and income, and a Gini indexmeasures how unequally income is shared. Each measure’s own page explains it.

crime

Conflict deaths0per 100,000 people2025higher is worse
Armed conflict present01 if any conflict, else 02025higher is worse
Homicide rate0.734per 100,000 population2023higher is worse

culture

Religious attendance60.3%% of respondents2022no agreed direction
Religion very important72.4%% of respondents2022no agreed direction
Frequent prayer79.7%% of respondents2022no agreed direction
Confidence in religious institutions84.9%% of respondents2022no agreed direction
Religiously unaffiliated0.845%% of population2020no agreed direction
Christian share9.15%% of population2020no agreed direction
Muslim share64.1%% of population2020no agreed direction
Women in a union57.1%% of women aged 15-492010no agreed direction
Marriage rate (UN)5.63marriages per 1,000 people2023no agreed direction
Divorce rate (UN)1.73divorces per 1,000 people2023no agreed direction

demography

Median age30.1years2023no agreed direction
Age at childbearing31years2023no agreed direction
Population35,977,838people2025no agreed direction
Population growth1.17%% per year2025no agreed direction
Urbanization77.4%% of population2025no agreed direction
Population 65+8.03%% of population2025no agreed direction
Population 0-1421.3%% of population2025no agreed direction
Fertility rate1.54births per woman2024no agreed direction
Birth rate12.4per 1,000 people2024no agreed direction
Net migration166,615people2025no agreed direction
Migrant share of population10.7%% of population2024no agreed direction

economy

Corporate tax rate24%% of profit2018no agreed direction
HDI0.819index, 0 to 12023higher is better
Inequality-adjusted HDI0.707index, 0 to 12023higher is better
GDP per capita (PPP)$35,461international $2025higher is better
GNI per capita (PPP)$34,062international $2025higher is better
GDP per capita (market)$12,352US$2025higher is better
GDP growth5.17%% per year2025no agreed direction
Inflation1.38%% per year2025no agreed direction
Trade openness136%% of GDP2025no agreed direction
FDI inflows3.69%% of GDP2024no agreed direction
Tax revenue12.4%% of GDP2024no agreed direction
Government consumption12.4%% of GDP2025no agreed direction
Government expense17%% of GDP2023no agreed direction
Military spending0.988%% of GDP2024no agreed direction
Employment in agriculture9.18%% of employment2025no agreed direction

education

PISA maths409PISA points2022higher is better
PISA reading388PISA points2022higher is better
PISA science416PISA points2022higher is better
Primary completion99.8%% of children2025higher is better
Expected schooling12.7years2023higher is better
Mean years of schooling11.1years2023higher is better
Education spending3.51%% of GDP2023no agreed direction
Primary enrollment90.4%% gross2024higher is better
Secondary enrollment80.3%% gross2024higher is better
Tertiary enrollment38.5%% gross2024higher is better
Adult literacy95.8%% of adults2022higher is better
Compulsory schooling6years2025no agreed direction
Out of school, primary12%% of primary-age children2024higher is worse
Pupil-teacher ratio11.7pupils per teacher2017higher is worse
Researchers1,218per million people2022higher is better

environment

CO2 per capita8.32t CO2e per capita2024higher is worse
Forest area57.7%% of land area2023higher is better
Agricultural land26.1%% of land area2023no agreed direction
Protected land13.3%% of land area2025higher is better

gender

Gender Inequality Index0.172index, 0 to 12023higher is worse
Gender Development Index0.973ratio of women's HDI to men's2023no agreed direction
Women's political empowerment0.772index (0-1)2025higher is better
Women ministers11.1%% of ministers2024higher is better
Women in parliament13.5%% of seats2025higher is better

governance

Corruption Perceptions Index50index (0-100, higher = cleaner)2024higher is better
Political rights (FH)4rating (1-7, 1 = most free)2025higher is worse
Civil liberties (FH)4rating (1-7, 1 = most free)2025higher is worse
Pre-trial detainee share32.6%% of prisoners2024higher is worse
Refugees originating3.4per 100,000 people2024higher is worse
Electoral democracy0.504index (0-1)2025higher is better
Liberal democracy0.355index (0-1)2025higher is better
Participatory democracy0.303index (0-1)2025higher is better
Free and fair elections0.598index (0-1)2025higher is better
Regime type2regime category (0-3)2025higher is better
Political corruption0.322index (0-1)2025higher is worse
Freedom of expression0.586index (0-1)2025higher is better
Freedom of association0.791index (0-1)2025higher is better
Political civil liberties0.691index (0-1)2025higher is better
Civil society participation0.755index (0-1)2025higher is better
Control of corruption0.498index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Rule of law0.345index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Government effectiveness0.915index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Regulatory quality0.68index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Voice and accountability-0.127index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Political stability0.385index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better

health

Life expectancy76.8years2024higher is better
Infant mortality7per 1,000 live births2024higher is worse
Under-5 mortality8.3per 1,000 live births2024higher is worse
Health spending3.96%% of GDP2023no agreed direction
Suicide rate5.65per 100,0002021higher is worse
Hospital beds1.96per 1,000 people2023no agreed direction
Basic water access97.9%% of population2024higher is better
Basic sanitation96%% of population2024higher is better
Child stunting24.3%% of children under 52024higher is worse
Adolescent fertility5.72births per 1,000 women aged 15-192024higher is worse
Maternal mortality26per 100,000 live births2023higher is worse
Skilled birth attendance99.6%% of births2019higher is better
Alcohol consumption0.74litres per adult per year2020no agreed direction
Tobacco use16.9%% of adults2024higher is worse
Road traffic deaths22.5per 100,000 population2019higher is worse
Physicians2.34per 1,000 people2023higher is better
DTP3 immunisation93%% of children aged 12-23 months2024higher is better
HIV prevalence0.3%% of adults aged 15-492024higher is worse
Tuberculosis incidence96per 100,000 people2024higher is worse
Premature NCD mortality19.9%% probability, ages 30-702021higher is worse
Anaemia in women31.3%% of women aged 15-492023higher is worse
Out-of-pocket health spending37.1%% of health spending2023higher is worse
Undernourishment2.5%% of population2023higher is worse
Food insecurity16.7%% of population2023higher is worse
Adult obesity23.3%% of adults2024higher is worse
Health coverage index80index, 0 to 1002023higher is better

inequality

Gini index40.7index (0-100)2021higher is worse
Extreme poverty rate0%% of population2021higher is worse

infrastructure

Internet users98%% of population2024higher is better
Mobile subscriptions140per 100 people2024higher is better
Electricity access100%% of population2024higher is better
Slum share of urban population0.2%% of urban population2020higher is worse
Fixed broadband13.5per 100 people2024higher is better

labor

Unemployment3.76%% of labor force2025higher is worse
Female labor participation51.6%% of women 15+2025no agreed direction
Male labor participation79.2%% of men 15+2025no agreed direction
Youth not in work or study10.2%% of 15 to 24 year olds2022higher is worse
Vulnerable employment21.9%% of employment2025higher is worse

wellbeing

Interpersonal trust19.6%% of respondents2022higher is better
Self-reported happiness85.6%% of respondents2022higher is better
Life satisfaction6score (0-10)2025higher is better

Values are the most recent in 2010–2025, and different measures can come from different years. The year is shown beside each. Nothing here ranks countries by merit. An area score averages whatever measures its publishers happen to collect, and the choice of what to collect is itself a judgement made by someone else. All countries · How the country data works

Countries to compare with Malaysia

Also in East Asia & Pacific: American Samoa, Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Hong Kong SAR, China, Indonesia, Japan, Kiribati, Korea, Dem. People's Rep., Korea, Rep., Lao PDR, Macao SAR, China, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Fed. Sts., Mongolia, Myanmar, Naoero, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Viet Nam.

Also upper middle income, in other regions: Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Colombia, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Georgia, Grenada, Guatemala, Iran, Islamic Rep., Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Libya, Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Paraguay, Peru, Serbia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and more on the full list of countries.