Malaysia
Asia · South-Eastern Asia
English-friendly and low cost; multicultural, with the Malaysia My Second Home visa available.
Digital Nomad
Ideal destination
Backpacker
Ideal destination
Expat
Ideal destination
At a Glance
📈Malaysia's Human Development Index
0.807
Very High human development#62 of 191 countries worldwide, #14 of 43 in Asia.
Higher than 68% of countries with data. UNDP Human Development Report.
UNDP builds the index from three dimensions: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable, and a decent standard of living. They are measured by life expectancy at birth, mean and expected years of schooling, and gross national income per capita.
Closest indicators in this dataset
World Bank, own vintages. UNDP’s own component values are not carried here, so these are related measures rather than the index inputs.
Nearest countries by HDI
Full HDI ranking, all 191 countries →Malaysia
Malaysia is a Southeast Asian country of remarkable diversity, where the rainforest-covered highlands of Borneo and the Peninsula, the street food culture of Penang, the colonial heritage of Malacca, and the skyline of Kuala Lumpur all form part of the same journey. The population is a blend of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and indigenous cultures, and this is reflected most deliciously in the food, which is arguably the best in the region. It suits a very wide range of travellers and is consistently underrated.
- Home to the world's oldest rainforest — older than the Amazon by 70 million years.
- Four of the world's top 10 tallest buildings have been built here.
- Ranks higher for press freedom than Singapore despite being its poorer neighbour.
Quick Facts
Capital
Kuala Lumpur
Languages
English, Malay
Currency
RM MYR
Area
328,550 km²
Nomad Hub
Fixed Broadband
166Mbps
Mobile
149Mbps
Digital Nomad Visa
Min. Income
$2,000/mo
Duration
12 months
Renewable
Yes
Application Fee
~RM1,000
~$290
GDP / Capita
$13K
PPP / Capita
$41K
Inflation
1.4%
Unemployment
3.8%
Innovation (GII)
40.6
GNI / Capita
$12K
Tax Revenue
12.4%
FDI Inflows
3.7%
Education Spend
3.5%
Cost of Living
34.0
Price Level Index
81st pct
20-Year Trend + IMF Forecast
Income & inflation over time
HDI since 1990
0.649 → 0.807 (+0.158)Year by year →UNDP Human Development Report, 2023-24 edition. 33 annual values, none interpolated; hover any point for its year.
Twenty years here
Year by year →The world report →World Bank observations, first to last available year per indicator (roughly 2005–2024; each series has its own window).
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Malaysia head-to-head
💬Quick answers
What is Malaysia's Human Development Index?
Malaysia's Human Development Index is 0.807 (UNDP Human Development Report), ranked #62 of 191 countries.
Is Malaysia safe?
Malaysia scores 1.51 on the Global Peace Index (lower is more peaceful), ranked #12 of 160 countries by the Institute for Economics & Peace. That measures national-level peace, not street crime; both are covered below.
How expensive is Malaysia?
Numbeo's cost-of-living index puts Malaysia at 34.0 (New York = 100); that is #43 cheapest of 143 countries with data.
What is life expectancy in Malaysia?
Life expectancy at birth in Malaysia is 76.8 yrs (World Bank), ranked #68 of 195 countries.
What is the quality of life in Malaysia?
Numbeo's quality-of-life index scores Malaysia at 135.2, ranked #51 of 87 countries with data. It composites purchasing power, safety, healthcare, cost of living, commute and pollution from resident surveys, so it reflects what residents report rather than what an economy produces.