Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malaysia instead of Bolivia, you would:
Health
live 8.1 years longer
In Bolivia, the average life expectancy is 69 years (66 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.
be 21.4% less likely to be obese
In Bolivia, 29.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 23.3% of people as of 2024.
see 90.7% more spent on your healthcare
Bolivia spends $756 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malaysia spends $1,441 as of 2023.
have 82.3% more doctors per person
Bolivia has 12.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Malaysia has 23.4 as of 2023.
have 16.9% more access to essential health services
Bolivia scores 65 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Malaysia scores 76 as of 2021.
be 34.5% more likely to die by suicide
Bolivia has a suicide rate of 4.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malaysia, it is 5.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 88.6% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Bolivia, 44.7% live below the poverty line as of 2025. In Malaysia, however, that number is 5.1% as of 2023.
make 2.5 times more money
Bolivia has a GDP per capita of $5,148 as of 2025, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $13,125 as of 2025.
be 26.6% more likely to be unemployed
In Bolivia, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malaysia, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.
Life
be 82.2% less likely to die during childbirth
In Bolivia, approximately 146.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malaysia, 26.0 women do as of 2023.
be 50.7% less likely to die during infancy
In Bolivia, approximately 14.2 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 41.2% fewer children
In Bolivia, there are approximately 21.0 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 23.0% more likely to have internet access
In Bolivia, approximately 79.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malaysia, about 98.0% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 53.4% less on education
Bolivia spends 7.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Malaysia spends 3.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 42.8% less on healthcare
Bolivia spends 6.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 4.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 83.5% less likely to be murdered
Bolivia has a homicide rate of 4.4 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 54.2% more likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Bolivia, 59% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2021. In Malaysia, that number is 90% as of 2021.
be 21.0% less likely to die in a road accident
In Bolivia, road accidents kill 17.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malaysia, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 12.3% more home broadband
Bolivia has 12.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malaysia has 13.6 as of 2024.
use 5.7 times more electricity
Bolivia uses 890 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh as of 2023.
live with 17.2 times more strain on fresh water
Bolivia withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malaysia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
Environment
be 16.7% more likely to die from air pollution
In Bolivia, air pollution causes 54.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Malaysia, it causes 63.0 as of 2019.
emit 3.6 times more CO2
Bolivia emits 2.3 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 (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bolivia vs. Malaysia
Malaysia: At a glance
How big is Malaysia compared to Bolivia? See an in-depth size comparison.