MALAYSIAN WELL-BEING INDEX RISES TO 120.6 POINTS IN 2024

PUTRAJAYA, Dec 19 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Well-being Index (MyWI) rose to 120.6 points in 2024 from 119.4 in 2023, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).

Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the economic subcomposite remained the main contributor to the overall increase, rising by 2.2 index points to 128.8, followed by the social subcomposite, which increased by 1.1 points, and the environmental subcomposite, which edged up by 0.2 points compared with the previous year.

“For the economic subcomposite, the income and distribution component recorded the highest increase at 5.9 index points in 2024, followed by transport at 3.4 index points and communication at 0.1 index points.

“This improvement reflects a stronger economic recovery and a more balanced income distribution,” he said in a statement today.

Meanwhile, the increase in the social subcomposite was driven by improvements across six components, namely social participation (5.1 index points), governance (4.7 index points), housing (1.7 index points), entertainment and recreation (1.7 index points), culture (0.4 index points) and public safety (0.1 index points).

On the environmental subcomposite, Mohd Uzir said it also recorded positive developments, with the air component increasing by 1.1 index points and biodiversity resources rising by 0.2 index points.

“The improvement in environmental indicators focused on greenhouse gas emissions, access to treated tap water and the area of forest licensed for exploitation,” he said.

At the state level, Mohd Uzir said most states recorded improvements in their well-being index, with Kelantan posting the highest increase of 2.0 index points, followed by Kedah and Sarawak at 1.8 index points each, and Sabah at 1.3 index points.

He said Sarawak recorded the most significant rise in the economic subcomposite at 3.7 index points, while Kedah registered the highest increase in the social subcomposite at 3.0 index points.

Negeri Sembilan, meanwhile, showed a notable improvement in the environmental subcomposite with an increase of 4.7 index points.

Mohd Uzir said the 2024 Malaysian Well-being Index (IKRM) confirms that the overall well-being of Malaysians continues to improve, driven by economic progress, social strengthening and enhancements in environmental sustainability.

“The improvements in these indicators have further strengthened the IKRM as the government’s main reference in formulating sustainable development policies that prioritise the well-being of the people and environmental sustainability,” he said.

He added that the IKRM was developed to provide a comprehensive overview of Malaysians’ well-being based on 14 components covering the economic and social well-being subcomposites.

-- BERNAMA