Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malaysia instead of Colombia, you would:
Health
live 1.1 years less
In Colombia, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 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 18.0% less spent on your healthcare
Colombia spends $1,758 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malaysia spends $1,441 as of 2023.
be 13.9% more likely to die by suicide
Colombia has a suicide rate of 5.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malaysia, it is 5.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 54.6% less likely to be unemployed
In Colombia, 8.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malaysia, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.
be 84.0% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Colombia, 31.8% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Malaysia, however, that number is 5.1% as of 2023.
make 53.3% more money
Colombia has a GDP per capita of $8,562 as of 2025, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $13,125 as of 2025.
Life
be 55.9% less likely to die during childbirth
In Colombia, approximately 59.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malaysia, 26.0 women do as of 2023.
be 33.3% less likely to die during infancy
In Colombia, approximately 10.5 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.
Basic Needs
be 23.5% more likely to have internet access
In Colombia, approximately 79.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malaysia, about 98.0% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 33.3% less on education
Colombia spends 5.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Malaysia spends 3.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 51.4% less on healthcare
Colombia spends 8.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 4.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 45.7% more coastline
Colombia has a total of 3,208 km of coastline. In Malaysia, that number is 4,675 km.
Safety
be 97.1% less likely to be murdered
Colombia has a homicide rate of 24.9 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 78.1% more likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Colombia, 51% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2022. In Malaysia, that number is 90% as of 2021.
be 14.2% less likely to die in a road accident
In Colombia, road accidents kill 16.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malaysia, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
use 3.3 times more electricity
Colombia uses 1,551 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh as of 2023.
find 21.3% less home broadband
Colombia has 17.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malaysia has 13.6 as of 2024.
Environment
be 2.6 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Colombia, air pollution causes 24.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Malaysia, it causes 63.0 as of 2019.
emit 4.6 times more CO2
Colombia emits 1.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Malaysia emits 8.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Colombia vs. Malaysia
Malaysia: At a glance
How big is Malaysia compared to Colombia? See an in-depth size comparison.