Malaysia

Malaysia is a federal constitutional monarchy in Southeast Asia made up of 13 states and three federal territories. The South China Sea divides it into Peninsular Malaysia on the mainland and East Malaysia on the island of Borneo. Kuala Lumpur is the national capital and largest city, Putrajaya the administrative capital, and the population of more than 34 million makes it the world's 43rd most populous country.

Ipsos ranks Malaysia No. 5 in its Happiness Index 2026, a survey of 29 countries. In the World Happiness Report 2026 the country stands 71st with a score of 6.005; Statbase notes that this was the first year of growth after a decline, up from 5.955 the year before.

Malaya became independent on 31 August 1957 and joined North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore to form Malaysia on 16 September 1963; Singapore left the federation in 1965. The country is one of 17 megadiverse nations, and about half its people are ethnically Malay, alongside Chinese, Indian and indigenous minorities. Its head of state is a monarch elected every five years from among the nine state rulers, and an economy once built on agriculture and commodities now runs mainly on services and manufacturing.

Sources of this text: Wikipedia · Ipsos · Happier Lives Institute · Statbase