Terengganu is the happiest state, Kluang records highest district score

PUTRAJAYA – Terengganu has emerged as the happiest state in Malaysia with a score of 8.64 in the Malaysian Happiness Index (MHI) 2024 released by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).

This achievement placed Terengganu in the 'very happy' category, reflecting a high level of social well-being in the state.

Chief statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin said Johor ranked second with a score of 8.08, while Negeri Sembilan was third with 8.01.

"Kluang, Johor recorded the highest happiness score in the country at 9.83, followed by Raub, Pahang (9.52) and Mersing, Johor (9.50).

"A total of 36 districts nationwide were also recorded as being in the ‘very happy’ category, with scores ranging from 8.02 to 9.83," he said in a statement on Friday.

He said this was the first time the MHI report has been published in detail down to the state and district level, allowing happiness assessments to be made more precisely based on local realities.

"MHI 2024 was developed based on the Malaysian Happiness Survey, which measures happiness through four main dimensions, physical, social, emotional and spiritual," he said

Uzir said 94 indicators were grouped into 13 happiness components, making this index a comprehensive and high-impact social statistics tool for assessing the quality of life of the people.

The overall happiness score of Malaysians stood at 7.60, placing the country in the 'happy' category.

A comparison between urban (7.61) and rural (7.56) areas showed a small well-being gap, reflecting balanced development and quality of life.

Religious and spiritual components contributed the most to people’s happiness with a score of 8.69.

Family factors ranked second with 8.64, illustrating that both elements played a significant role in the well-being of the population.

On the other hand, the cultural component recorded the lowest score at 6.22, followed by emotions at 6.40.

Although still in the 'happy' category, these findings indicated that emotional well-being and cultural appreciation needed to be given attention in social development policies.

From a demographic perspective, women recorded a higher happiness score (7.62) compared to men (7.57).

Young people aged 15 to 19 were reported as the happiest group with a score of 7.79, while the score for senior citizens aged 65 and above dipped slightly to 7.54.

Uzir added that the findings proved Malaysians remained optimistic and possessed strong collective resilience in facing global challenges.

"This index also helps authorities plan more targeted strategies to improve quality of life according to the needs of each state and district," he said.