Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malaysia instead of Burma, you would:
Health
live 9.7 years longer
In Burma, the average life expectancy is 67 years (64 years for men, 70 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 5.1 times more spent on your healthcare
Burma spends $283 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malaysia spends $1,441 as of 2023.
have 46.2% more access to essential health services
Burma scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Malaysia scores 76 as of 2021.
be 2.9 times more likely to be obese
In Burma, 8.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 23.3% of people as of 2024.
be 95.5% more likely to die by suicide
Burma has a suicide rate of 2.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malaysia, it is 5.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 8.8 times more money
Burma has a GDP per capita of $1,489 as of 2025, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $13,125 as of 2025.
be 23.3% more likely to be unemployed
In Burma, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malaysia, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.
Life
be 85.9% less likely to die during childbirth
In Burma, approximately 185.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malaysia, 26.0 women do as of 2023.
be 78.7% less likely to die during infancy
In Burma, approximately 32.8 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 24.9% fewer children
In Burma, there are approximately 16.5 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 30.2% more likely to have access to electricity
In Burma, approximately 77% of people have electricity access (95% in urban areas, and 69% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 2.2 times more likely to have internet access
In Burma, approximately 44.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Malaysia, about 98.0% do as of 2024.
be 14.3% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Burma, approximately 86% of people have access to drinking water (96% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 98% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 95% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 11.2% less on healthcare
Burma spends 4.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 4.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 2.4 times more coastline
Burma has a total of 1,930 km of coastline. In Malaysia, that number is 4,675 km.
Safety
be 71.7% less likely to be murdered
Burma has a homicide rate of 2.6 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 28.0% less likely to die in a road accident
In Burma, road accidents kill 19.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malaysia, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 4.7 times more home broadband
Burma has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malaysia has 13.6 as of 2024.
live with 40.7% less strain on fresh water
Burma withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malaysia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 13.8 times more electricity
Burma uses 368 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 11.3% less likely to die from air pollution
In Burma, air pollution causes 71.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Malaysia, it causes 63.0 as of 2019.
emit 14.3 times more CO2
Burma emits 0.6 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), The World Factbook (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Burma vs. Malaysia
Malaysia: At a glance
How big is Malaysia compared to Burma? See an in-depth size comparison.