Human Development Index vs. GDP per capita in Malaysia
Malaysia: Human Development Index vs. GDP per capita was 0.819 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Human Development Index vs. GDP per capita in Malaysia, 1990–2023
Source: UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Malaysia recorded 0.819 for human development index vs. gdp per capita in 2023. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
The figure is up 1.1% on the previous year and up 3.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, human development index vs. gdp per capita in Malaysia peaked at 0.819 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.653, in 1990.
That places Malaysia 67th out of 192 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Human Development Index vs. GDP per capita in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0.653 | — |
| 1991 | 0.661 | +1.2% |
| 1992 | 0.67 | +1.4% |
| 1993 | 0.677 | +1.0% |
| 1994 | 0.684 | +1.0% |
| 1995 | 0.691 | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 0.701 | +1.4% |
| 1997 | 0.713 | +1.7% |
| 1998 | 0.718 | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 0.723 | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 0.733 | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 0.731 | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 0.732 | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 0.737 | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 0.739 | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 0.736 | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 0.742 | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 0.754 | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 0.765 | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 0.773 | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 0.779 | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 0.782 | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 0.787 | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 0.791 | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 0.795 | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 0.8 | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 0.805 | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 0.807 | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 0.809 | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 0.812 | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 0.81 | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 0.802 | -1.0% |
| 2022 | 0.81 | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 0.819 | +1.1% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 0.819 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.7675, 1.1× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 0.819 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.732, 1.1× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.6891 | 0.653 | 0.723 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.7442 | 0.731 | 0.773 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.7967 | 0.779 | 0.812 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.8103 | 0.802 | 0.819 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More economy & growth data for Malaysia
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 3.04 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 3.97 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 13.04 billion BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0309 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 366.69 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 15.59 billion BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 96.92 % change on previous year (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0369 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 438.53 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 8.09 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is human development index vs. gdp per capita in Malaysia?
- Human development index vs. gdp per capita in Malaysia was 0.819 in 2023, according to UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest human development index vs. gdp per capita recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 0.819 in 2023.
- What is the lowest human development index vs. gdp per capita recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.653 in 1990.
- How does Malaysia rank for human development index vs. gdp per capita?
- Malaysia ranks 67th out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is human development index vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Human Development Index vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure of key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, a good education, and a decent standard of living. Higher values indicate higher human development.