Gender Inequality Index in Malaysia
Malaysia: Gender Inequality Index was 0.172 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Gender Inequality Index in Malaysia, 1990–2023
Source: UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2023, gender inequality index in Malaysia stood at 0.172. That is the lowest value across all 34 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.6% on the previous year and down 30.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gender inequality index in Malaysia peaked at 0.388 in 1991 and was at its lowest, 0.172, in 2023.
Malaysia ranks 123rd of 169 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.3565 | 0.326 | 0.388 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.2799 | 0.26 | 0.296 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.2314 | 0.193 | 0.262 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.175 | 0.172 | 0.182 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More poverty & inequality data for Malaysia
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 2 surveys (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 1.55 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 3,524 kg per hectare (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 12.6% (2023)
- Share of government consumption in GDP vs. share of population living in extreme poverty 12.5% (2023)
- Lifespan inequality: Gini coefficient in women 0.1011 (2023)
- Lifespan inequality: Gini coefficient by sex 0.1011 (2023)
- Lifespan inequality: Gini coefficient in men 0.1209 (2023)
- Income inequality: Atkinson index 0.2476 (2023)
- Poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 PPP) 0.0% (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gender inequality index in Malaysia?
- Gender inequality index in Malaysia was 0.172 in 2023, according to UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest gender inequality index recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 0.388 in 1991.
- What is the lowest gender inequality index recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.172 in 2023.
- How does Malaysia rank for gender inequality index?
- Malaysia ranks 123rd out of 169 countries with data for 2023.
- Is gender inequality index rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 30.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 Gender Inequality Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
This index captures gender-based disadvantage in reproductive health, empowerment and the labour market; ranges from 0 (full equality) to 1 (maximum inequality), representing the share of potential human development lost because of gender gaps.