Self-reported life satisfaction in Malaysia
Malaysia: Self-reported life satisfaction was 6 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Self-reported life satisfaction in Malaysia, 2011–2025
Source: Wellbeing Research Centre (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Malaysia recorded 6 for self-reported life satisfaction in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-reported life satisfaction in Malaysia peaked at 6.32 in 2017 and was at its lowest, 5.34, in 2018.
That places Malaysia 70th out of 157 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
Self-reported life satisfaction in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 5.82 | — |
| 2012 | 5.76 | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 5.77 | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 6 | +4.1% |
| 2016 | 6.08 | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 6.32 | +3.9% |
| 2018 | 5.34 | -15.5% |
| 2019 | 5.38 | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 5.38 | -0.0% |
| 2021 | 5.71 | +6.1% |
| 2022 | 6.01 | +5.3% |
| 2023 | 5.97 | -0.6% |
| 2024 | 5.96 | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 6 | +0.8% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 6 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.94, 1.0× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 6 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 6.06, 99% of the median. (16 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5.81 | 5.34 | 6.32 | 8 |
| 2020s | 5.84 | 5.38 | 6.01 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More social development data for Malaysia
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 150,164 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2,477 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 4 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 4 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0001 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 2,477 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0042 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is self-reported life satisfaction in Malaysia?
- Self-reported life satisfaction in Malaysia was 6 in 2025, according to Wellbeing Research Centre (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest self-reported life satisfaction recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 6.32 in 2017.
- What is the lowest self-reported life satisfaction recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.34 in 2018.
- How does Malaysia rank for self-reported life satisfaction?
- Malaysia ranks 70th out of 157 countries with data for 2025.
- Is self-reported life satisfaction rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from Wellbeing Research Centre (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Self-reported life satisfaction. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Average of survey responses. The survey question asks respondents their current position on a hypothetical ladder, where the best possible life for them is a 10, and the worst possible life is a 0.