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.
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
- Political Rights Rating 4 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 150,164 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 2,477 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Key features of democracy 0.504 (2025)
- Freedom of Expression Index 0.586 (2025)
- Freedom of Association Index 0.791 (2025)
- Electoral Democracy Index 0.504 (2025)
- Participatory Democracy Index 0.303 (2025)
- Liberal Democracy Index 0.355 (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.