Malaysia was ranked favourably in the latest iteration of the Global Youth Development Index Report published by the Commonwealth Secretariat, placing 6th among 50 Commonwealth nations.
Globally, Malaysia was ranked 35th in the Index out of 183 countries, which measured 6 areas of youth development, including education, employment and opportunity, equality and inclusion, health and well-being, peace and security, as well as political and civil participation.
The 2023 Global Youth Development Index Report
Published on 26 April 2024, the 2023 Global Youth Development Index Report tracks progress on the sustainable development goals associated with youth development, thus making it a useful resource for researchers, policy-makers and civil societies.
In the rankings, Singapore placed 1st globally and among Commonwealth nations, with the Index also noting that the island nation ranked 1st in terms of health and well-being, as well as peace and security.
However, despite its 1st ranking overall, Singapore didn’t fare well in the political and civic participation area, placing 100th among the 183 countries.
Here are the top 10 rankings for Commonwealth nations in the study:
- Singapore (1st globally)
- Malta (8th globally)
- Cyprus (21st globally)
- New Zealand (27th globally)
- Brunei Darussalam (27th globally)
- Malaysia (35th globally)
- Fiji (45th globally)
- United Kingdom (49th globally)
- Tonga (50th globally)
- Sri Lanka (51st globally)
How Malaysia fared in the 6 areas of youth development
In the Index, the score given is a number between 0 and 1, with 1 representing the highest possible level of youth development attainable across all indicators.
In the study, Malaysia garnered an overall score of 0.802 and excelled in 2 particular youth development areas, which are employment and opportunity, as well as equality and inclusion.
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For employment and opportunity, Malaysia received a score of 0.952, the 8th best in the world out of 183 countries.
Similarly, Malaysia is also ranked 8th best in the world in terms of equality and inclusion with a score of 0.965.
In terms of peace and security, we ranked favourably too with a score of 0.805, placing 14th in the world.
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For education, Malaysia scored 0.802, the 58th best in the world, while in the political and civic participation area, we scored 0.330, ranking 84th in the world.
The worst-performing youth development area is health and well-being, whereby Malaysia only scored 0.805, placing 163rd out of 183 countries.
So, what do you guys make of Malaysia’s performance in the 2023 Youth Development Index Report? Do you agree with the findings? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
Also read: M’sia Falls 34 Spots in World Press Freedom Index 2024 Due to Alleged Govt ‘Censorship’ of Criticism
