LGBT+ Rights Index in Malaysia
Malaysia: LGBT+ Rights Index was -2.46 in 2019. ▼ Falling
LGBT+ Rights Index in Malaysia, 1991–2019
Source: Velasco (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Malaysia recorded -2.46 for lgbt+ rights index in 2019. That is the lowest value across all 29 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 65.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lgbt+ rights index in Malaysia peaked at -1.49 in 1991 and was at its lowest, -2.46, in 2018.
That places Malaysia 186th out of 192 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 29 years of available data.
LGBT+ Rights Index in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | -1.49 | — |
| 1992 | -1.49 | -0.0% |
| 1993 | -1.49 | -0.0% |
| 1994 | -1.49 | -0.0% |
| 1995 | -1.49 | -0.0% |
| 1996 | -1.49 | -0.0% |
| 1997 | -1.49 | -0.0% |
| 1998 | -1.52 | +2.6% |
| 1999 | -1.52 | -0.0% |
| 2000 | -1.52 | -0.0% |
| 2001 | -1.52 | -0.0% |
| 2002 | -1.52 | -0.0% |
| 2003 | -1.49 | -2.5% |
| 2004 | -1.49 | -0.0% |
| 2005 | -1.52 | +2.6% |
| 2006 | -1.49 | -2.5% |
| 2007 | -1.49 | -0.0% |
| 2008 | -1.49 | -0.0% |
| 2009 | -1.49 | -0.0% |
| 2010 | -1.49 | -0.0% |
| 2011 | -1.52 | +2.6% |
| 2012 | -1.49 | -2.5% |
| 2013 | -1.49 | -0.0% |
| 2014 | -1.52 | +2.6% |
| 2015 | -1.52 | -0.0% |
| 2016 | -1.52 | -0.0% |
| 2017 | -1.52 | -0.0% |
| 2018 | -2.46 | +61.5% |
| 2019 | -2.46 | -0.0% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's -2.46 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 2.07. (57 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's -2.46 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2.07. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | -1.49 | -1.52 | -1.49 | 9 |
| 2000s | -1.5 | -1.52 | -1.49 | 10 |
| 2010s | -1.7 | -2.46 | -1.49 | 10 |
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 lgbt+ rights index in Malaysia?
- Lgbt+ rights index in Malaysia was -2.46 in 2019, according to Velasco (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest lgbt+ rights index recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was -1.49 in 1991.
- What is the lowest lgbt+ rights index recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.46 in 2018.
- How does Malaysia rank for lgbt+ rights index?
- Malaysia ranks 186th out of 192 countries with data for 2019.
- Is lgbt+ rights index rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 65.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from Velasco (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of LGBT+ Rights Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 29 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The LGBT+ Policy Index measures a country’s LGBT+ policy landscape by capturing the implementation of 18 different LGBT+ policies. Policies included in the index are limited to those adopted across at least three countries or are explicitly advocated for by transnational activists.