KUALA LUMPUR:The Malaysian Well-Being Index (MyWI) increased 0.6 per cent to 121.0 index points last year compared to 120.3 index points in 2018, largely due to a positive growth in economic well-being.

Malaysian chief statistician, Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the positive growth in well-being of Malaysians came from increases in 11 out of 14 economic and social components in 2019.

“The increase was encouraged by economic well-being, growing by 2.3 per cent to 131.8 index points in 2019 compared to 128.8 index points in 2018.

“Social well-being, however, dropped 0.6 per cent from 115.6 index points in 2018 to 114.9 index points in 2019,” he said in a media statement here today.

The MyWI report was published to measure the level of well-being of Malaysians from the economic and social perspectives, comprising five economic and nine social components.

The five economic components are transport, communications, education, income and distribution as well as working life while the nine social components are housing, leisure, public safety, social participation, governance, health, culture, environment and family.

MyWI, which measures the development of Malaysians’ well-being, showed a significant increase in economic well-being compared to social well-being from 2000 to 2019.

Economic well-being registered an increase of 31.8 points while social well-being increased 14.9 points during the same period.

The increase of both social and economic components drove the MyWI index up by 21.0 points to 121.0 in 2019.

Mohd Uzir said all five economic components and six out of nine social components registered positive growth last year.

He said the three highest indices among the economic well-being components were the transport component (139.6 index points), followed by the education index (133.2 index points) and communications (130.9 index points).

“In terms of social well-being, the three highest indices were leisure (132.5 index points,), public safety (132.3 index points) and governance by 122.7 index points,” he said.

The calculation of the 2019 MyWI took into account 68 indicators, including 26 economic indicators and 42 social indications.

In line with the current needs and situation, the report was improved with an additional new indicator, which is infectious disease under the health component.

MyWI is an important benchmark in the formulation of policies and programmes to achieve a developed high-income status country that is inclusive and sustainable.

To ensure the well-being and lifestyle of Malaysians continue to be given priority, the Malaysian Statistics Department will conduct a study for the development of the Malaysian Human Development Index and the Malaysian Happiness Index next year.

-- BERNAMA