Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malawi instead of Burundi, you would:
Health
live 3.7 years longer
In Burundi, the average life expectancy is 64 years (62 years for men, 66 years for women) as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.
see 25.3% more spent on your healthcare
Burundi spends $100 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malawi spends $125 as of 2023.
have 17.1% more access to essential health services
Burundi scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Malawi scores 48 as of 2021.
be 7.8 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Burundi, 0.8% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 6.2% of people as of 2024.
be 54.4% more likely to be obese
In Burundi, 5.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 8.0% of people as of 2024.
have 30.8% fewer doctors per person
Burundi has 0.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Malawi has 0.5 as of 2022.
Economy
make 2.9 times more money
Burundi has a GDP per capita of $234 as of 2025, while in Malawi, the GDP per capita is $672 as of 2025.
be 5.5 times more likely to be unemployed
In Burundi, 0.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malawi, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
Life
be 42.6% less likely to die during childbirth
In Burundi, approximately 392.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malawi, 225.0 women do as of 2023.
be 24.6% more likely to die during infancy
In Burundi, approximately 30.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Malawi, on the other hand, 38.0 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 34.5% more likely to have access to electricity
In Burundi, approximately 12% of people have electricity access (65% in urban areas, and 2% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Malawi, that number is 16% of people on average (58% in urban areas, and 6% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 2.2 times more likely to have internet access
In Burundi, approximately 8.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malawi, about 19.0% do as of 2024.
be 10.8% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Burundi, approximately 66% of people have access to drinking water (91% in urban areas, and 61% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 73% of people on average (86% in urban areas, and 70% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 38.9% less on education
Burundi spends 4.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2025. Malawi spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 28.2% less on healthcare
Burundi spends 9.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Malawi, that number is 6.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 64.2% more likely to die in a road accident
In Burundi, road accidents kill 12.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malawi, they kill 20.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 4.5 times more home broadband
Burundi has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Malawi has 0.1 as of 2024.
live with 71.7% more strain on fresh water
Burundi withdraws 10% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malawi withdraws 18% as of 2022.
Environment
be 39.4% less likely to die from air pollution
In Burundi, air pollution causes 71.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Malawi, it causes 43.0 as of 2019.
emit 3.1 times more CO2
Burundi emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Malawi emits 0.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Burundi vs. Malawi
Malawi: At a glance
How big is Malawi compared to Burundi? See an in-depth size comparison.