Social and Economic Gains Drives Malaysia’s Wellbeing Index Up to 0.7% in 2023
Malaysia’s Wellbeing Index (MyWI) rose 121.3 points in 2023, thanks to its ability to adapt to a post-pandemic landscape. Transportation experienced the highest growth, with the new KTM Komuter stations playing a vital role in this. Similarly, the social sub-composite index made improvements, with culture, entertainment, and recreation achieving significant growth. Contrarily, the income index declined slightly due to a reduction in gross national income per capita.
Performance by State
Malaysia’s wellbeing index by state performance saw Perlis leading the pack at (+1.4%), followed by Johor (+1.0%) and Pahang (+0.5%). Conversely, Sabah (-2.2%) and Wilayah Persekutuan (-0.8%) saw the steepest declines, driven by drops in the environment, governance, and public safety indices.
Malaysia’s wellbeing index has been on the rise since 2000, reflecting steady economic (+30.7 points) and social (+16.0 points) improvements. Health indicators, such as life expectancy and immunization rates, showed significant progress. Still, environmental concerns remain a challenge for the country.
