Singapore Tops Southeast Asia in Governance; Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam Follow

【Jakarta, Indonesia = Reporter Aulia Maulida Hamdani】Singapore was found to have the best government performance and governance in Southeast Asia. It scored 77.4 points, the highest among major countries in the region, followed by Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
According to local media reports on the 24th, Singapore ranked first among major Southeast Asian countries in a governance assessment compiled by U.S. News & World Report, with a score of 77.4. The country was highly rated for its efficient public institutions, administrative system, and strong infrastructure. It also ranked first in the infrastructure category in U.S. News' 2026 Best Countries rankings.
Malaysia ranked second with 63.3 points. It was praised for relatively strong institutions and administrative capacity. Its leadership role in the region as chair of ASEAN in 2025 also drew attention.
Indonesia placed third with 54.9 points. With a large population spread across thousands of islands, efficient administration and public service delivery were identified as key challenges.
Vietnam followed with 52.6 points, while the Philippines and Thailand scored 48.4 and 48.2 points, respectively, indicating mid-level governance capacity. However, all three countries were seen as facing room for improvement in institutional efficiency, political stability, and public administration. The Philippines, in particular, has also ranked lower than some other Southeast Asian countries in other governance indexes.
Kingdom of Cambodia and Laos followed with 42.9 and 35.8 points, respectively. Despite economic and social development, both were found to still face challenges in government operations and institutional capacity. Myanmar recorded the lowest score among the countries surveyed, at 26.4 points. This was interpreted as reflecting political instability and a lack of administrative capacity in the government.

[email protected] Reporter Aulia Maulida Hamdani Reporter