Maldives and Malaysia Top 2025 Islamic Wellbeing Index: A testament to holistic belief in action

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Posted by Dr Daud Batchelor | 29 Sep, 2025 In a landmark result for 2025, the Maldives and Malaysia jointly secured first place among 33 Muslim countries in the latest edition of the Islamic Wellbeing Index (IWI 5.0). This outcome underscores a rising consensus that Muslim countries thrive when they harmonise spiritual devotion (ibadat) with socio-economic justice and public welfare (mu‘amalat). Next rankings were Indonesia (3rd), Tunisia (4th), Senegal (5th), Jordan (6th) and Egypt (7th). The IWI, first launched in Read More

Malaysia regains leadership in the 2023 Islamic Well-Being Index for Muslim countries

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Posted by Dr Daud Batchelor | 27 Nov, 2023 Would you be interested in an Index that aspires to reflect well-being of a country’s Muslims, not only in their existence on earth, but also in the next life? That is the ultimate goal of the Islamic Well-Being Index (IWI) for Muslim Countries, assessed annually. It does not refer specifically to one individual’s well-being or just an elite, but overall well-being of the bulk of citizens in a Muslim country. Such Read More

Malaysia Regains the Exemplary Lead in the 2023 Islamic Well-Being Index 4.0 for Muslim Countries

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Results are now available from the number-crunching of indicator values for the 2023 Islamic Well-Being Index of Muslim Countries (Table 1). The Index was developed by Dr Daud Batchelor, while the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS) Malaysia is its institutional platform. Malaysia has regained the leadership position it held when the Index was first published in 2013. It means that a majority of Malaysian Muslims are experiencing relative well-being compared to other Muslim countries, as a consequence of Read More

Islamic Well-Being Index 2022: Maldives tops Indonesia and Malaysia

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Maldives was newly included for IWI 2022 assessment amongst 33 Muslim majority counties for which religiosity (Deen) data is available from World Values Surveys. Former leaders, Indonesia and Malaysia, share second place. That these three demonstrate exemplary well-being reflects Islamic resilience in facing COVID-19 pandemic’s travails. They are also societies where women play large roles contributing to societal well-being. Two prominent countries, Turkey and Pakistan, displayed the greatest one-year fall of rankings due to economic and political problems, exacerbated by the pandemic. Tunisia Read More

The Republic of Maldives Leads in the Pandemic Era Islamic Well-Being Index 3.0 for 2022

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Two Muslim countries facing existential threats have done very well in the new Islamic Well-Being rankings for Muslim countries (IWI 3.0_2022; see Table 1). As the Maldives is the 2022 leader in Islamic Well-Being, one may expect it to be a virtual paradise on Earth.  However, the sea that provides its allure, also causes great unease as sustained sea-level rise from global warming threatens to overwhelm the island nation within 60 years. The faith of Maldives’ Muslims however, is high, Read More