Study: Malaysia is The World’s 5th Happiest Country, Only Southeast Asian Nation in Top 10

Malaysians are known for their overall happiness. With friendly people, delicious and affordable food, and stunning architecture, what’s not to be happy about?

According to the neuroscience research organization Sapien Labs, Malaysia has been ranked as the 5th happiest country globally, based on the surveys that were conducted among over 400,000 individuals across 71 countries.

Malaysia achieved a score of 85 per cent, with a 2.9 per cent increase

The report, titled The Global Mind Project’s ‘Mental State of the World’, shows that people living in Malaysia were found to be among the happiest, ranking 5th, with Panama being 4th, Tanzania 3rd and Sri Lanka 2nd.

Taking the top spot as the happiest country in the world is the Dominican Republic.

The study used Mental Health Quotient (MHQ) to evaluate different dimensions of participants’ mental well-being, categorising them into groups ranging from ‘thriving’ to ‘distressed.’

According to the report, it was highlighted that mental well-being is still struggling after the pandemic, with no signs of going back to how it was before.

Sapien Labs further observed that younger generations, especially those under 35, experienced the most significant downturns in mental well-being amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, while individuals over 65 remained relatively stable.

“With these declines persisting across all age groups, the pandemic amplified a pre-existing trend of poorer mental wellbeing for younger generations that is now visible across the globe.”

However, Sapien Labs stated that the findings of the report show a concerning outlook for the post-pandemic future, emphasizing the urgent need to gain a deeper understanding of the factors influencing overall mental well-being.

You can read the full report here.

What are your thoughts on the statistics? Let us know in the comments down below!

Also read: Malaysia Named 8th Best Place in the World to Retire in 2024, Only Asian Country in Top 10