WOULD you walk alone at night? According to a global survey, Malaysia ranks 43rd in the world for perceived safety at night, with 58% of people saying they feel safe walking alone after dark.
This data comes from the 2024 Global Safety Report by US-based analytics firm Gallup Inc, which surveyed more than 145,000 people across 144 countries to gauge how safe people feel in their daily lives.
While Malaysia sits mid-range in overall safety, the country has gained attention for a more concerning reason: it has the largest gender gap in perceived safety among all countries surveyed.
Only 36% of Malaysian women said they feel safe walking alone at night. In comparison, 79% of Malaysian men reported feeling safe.
This results in a 43 percentage point gender gap—the widest in the world.
The findings highlight that economic development alone does not ensure equal safety, particularly for women in public spaces.
Despite being a high-income country, Malaysia shows a stark contrast in how men and women experience safety at night.
In contrast, neighbouring Singapore continues to lead globally in safety, with a near-universal 98% of residents feeling safe—the highest rating worldwide.
This marks the 12th consecutive year that Singapore has held the top spot, thanks to its low crime rates, strong law enforcement, and consistent public order.
Other countries ranking high in perceived safety include, Tajikistan (95%), China (94%), Oman (94%), and Saudi Arabia (93%).
At the other end of the spectrum, countries facing ongoing unrest and instability ranked among the least safe countries to walk alone at night are South Africa (33%), Ecuador (38%), and Myanmar (41%).
Myanmar stood out as the only non-African or South American country in the bottom 10, reflecting its ongoing military crackdowns, ethnic conflict, and civil unrest.