Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malaysia instead of Bangladesh, you would:
Health
live 1.9 years longer
In Bangladesh, the average life expectancy is 75 years (73 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.
see 7.3 times more spent on your healthcare
Bangladesh spends $199 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malaysia spends $1,441 as of 2023.
have 3.2 times more doctors per person
Bangladesh has 7.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Malaysia has 23.4 as of 2023.
have 46.2% more access to essential health services
Bangladesh scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Malaysia scores 76 as of 2021.
be 4.1 times more likely to be obese
In Bangladesh, 5.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 23.3% of people as of 2024.
be 2.0 times more likely to die by suicide
Bangladesh has a suicide rate of 2.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malaysia, it is 5.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 72.7% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Bangladesh, 18.7% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Malaysia, however, that number is 5.1% as of 2023.
make 5.1 times more money
Bangladesh has a GDP per capita of $2,597 as of 2025, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $13,125 as of 2025.
Life
be 77.4% less likely to die during childbirth
In Bangladesh, approximately 115.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malaysia, 26.0 women do as of 2023.
be 21.2% more likely to be literate
In Bangladesh, the literacy rate is 79.0% as of 2022. In Malaysia, it is 95.8% as of 2022.
be 71.3% less likely to die during infancy
In Bangladesh, approximately 24.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Malaysia, on the other hand, 7.0 children do as of 2024.
have 38.2% fewer children
In Bangladesh, there are approximately 20.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Malaysia, there are 12.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 83.5% more likely to have internet access
In Bangladesh, approximately 53.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malaysia, about 98.0% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 72.9% more on education
Bangladesh spends 2.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Malaysia spends 3.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 82.5% more on healthcare
Bangladesh spends 2.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 4.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 8.1 times more coastline
Bangladesh has a total of 580 km of coastline. In Malaysia, that number is 4,675 km.
Safety
be 25.3% less likely to die in a road accident
In Bangladesh, road accidents kill 18.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malaysia, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 67.5% more home broadband
Bangladesh has 8.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malaysia has 13.6 as of 2024.
live with 39.9% less strain on fresh water
Bangladesh withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malaysia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 8.4 times more electricity
Bangladesh uses 603 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 11.6 times more CO2
Bangladesh emits 0.7 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Malaysia emits 8.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Bangladesh vs. Malaysia
Malaysia: At a glance
How big is Malaysia compared to Bangladesh? See an in-depth size comparison.