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MANILA, Philippines – Many Southeast Asians complain about the traffic in their cities, high prices, or rising crimes. But compared to their neighboring countries, how bad is their situation really?
Rappler ranks the 10 ASEAN nations on 8 different categories, to see how they compare to one another, and to give you perspective on the various issues affecting the region.
Let us know in the comments section which statistics surprise you most.
Traffic
Worst: Thailand, Indonesia
The worst traffic in Southeast Asia alternates between the capitals of Thailand and Indonesia. A US-based survey in 2017, which measure average hours spent in traffic during rush hour, ranked Thailand on top (61 hours), followed by Indonesia (74 hours). Meanwhile, a 2014 traffic index that measures the level of stop-start driving put Jakarta as having the worst traffic in the world, followed by Bangkok. Manila, Philippines often makes the top 20 lists as well, but not above Thailand or Indonesia.
Best: Singapore, Malaysia
The 2014 traffic index rated Singapore and Kuala Lumpur as having moderate traffic, although it did not measure stop-start levels for the other ASEAN countries.
Poverty
Worst: Myanmar, Philippines
According to 2014 data from the Asian Development Bank, Myanmar has the biggest share of its population below the national poverty line. At least 25.6% of Burmese live under the poverty line, but not far behind is the Philippines with 25.2%. It is rounded off by Lao (23.2%), Cambodia (13.5%), Indonesia (11.2%), Thailand (10.9%), Vietnam (8.4%) and Malaysia (0.6%).
Best: Singapore, Brunei
No data was available for Singapore and Brunei, but the two are generally considered to be the richest nations in the region.
Cost of living
Worst: Singapore
The Economist’s Cost of Living Survey 2017 ranked Singapore as the most expensive city to live in not just in ASEAN but in the world. Bangkok, Thailand was a far second in the region (51st globally out of 133 countries ranked).
Best: Malaysia, Philippines, Brunei
Kuala Lumpur was the cheapest city in Southeast Asia to live in, ranking 96th globally. Also cheap were Manila, Philippines, and Bandar Segi Begawan, Brunei (both 92), and Jakarta, Indonesia (82). Phnom Penh, Cambodia and Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam were ranked 78th. There was no data available for Laos and Myanmar.
Corruption
Worst: Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam
Based on the 2016 ASEAN Business Outlook Survey, which asked AmCham member companies in all 10 countries regarding their corruption concerns, Indonesia, Myanmar and Vietnam ranked highest for corruption risks. This was followed by Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and the Philippines.
Best: Singapore, Brunei
A Forbes article said that the survey highlighted a clear regional divide: Singapore and Brunei were far above the rest, when it came to satisfaction levels regarding lack of corruption.
Women’s rights
Worst: Cambodia, Malaysia, Brunei
According to the 2016 World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index, Cambodia has the largest gender-based gaps in access to resources and opportunities including access to health, education, economic partiicpation, and political empowerment. Cambodia is ranked 112th out of 144 countries measured, followed by Malaysia (106), Brunei (103), Thailand (71) and Vietnam (65).
Best: Philippines
The Philippines is the only Southeast Asian country to make it to the top 10 globally, ranking 7th in the world. Laos, which followed the Philippines, is a far 2nd, ranking 43rd, while Singapore is 3rd at 55.
Tourism
Best: Thailand, Malaysia
The ASEAN Secretariat’s latest data as of January 2017 puts Thailand on top in the region, recording the highest number of tourists. It was followed by Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.
Worst: Brunei
Brunei has the worst tourism record, followed by Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
Crime
Worst: Indonesia, Vietnam, Bangkok
According to the 2015 Safe Cities Index, Jakarta, Indonesia is the least safe city in Asia. It was followed by Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Mumbai and Delhi (India) were 3rd and 4th respectively, then Bangkok, Thailand ranked in 5th least safe in the region. The index is measured using over 40 indicators across 4 thematic categories: digital security; health security; infrastructure safety; and personal safety.
Best: Singapore
Singapore ranked as the second safest city in all of Asia, only behind Tokyo, Japan. The other Southeast Asian nations were not ranked in the report.
Passport
Worst: Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia
According to the 2017 Passport Index, Myanmar has the least powerful passport in the region, allowing visa-free access only to 41 countries. It was followed closely by Laos (47), Vietnam and Cambodia (49), then Indonesia (59), the Philippines (61), and Thailand (72).
Best: Singapore
Singapore does not just boast the most powerful passport in ASEAN, but is also the second most powerful in the world, allowing visa-free access to 159 countries. It is followed by Malaysia (156) and Brunei (136). – Rappler.com
Correction: A previous version of this story used a different measurement for crime index. It has been updated with rankings from the more reliable 2015 Safe Cities Index.
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