Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malawi instead of Democratic Republic of the Congo, you would:
Health
live 5.5 years longer
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, the average life expectancy is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 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 2.2 times more spent on your healthcare
Democratic Republic of the Congo spends $58 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malawi spends $125 as of 2023.
have 14.3% more access to essential health services
Democratic Republic of the Congo scores 42 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Malawi scores 48 as of 2021.
be 13.7% less likely to die by suicide
Democratic Republic of the Congo has a suicide rate of 8.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malawi, it is 7.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 8.9 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 0.7% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 6.2% of people as of 2024.
be 19.6% more likely to be obese
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 6.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 8.0% of people as of 2024.
have 74.0% fewer doctors per person
Democratic Republic of the Congo has 2.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Malawi has 0.5 as of 2022.
Economy
be 14.4% more likely to be unemployed
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 4.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malawi, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
make 16.8% less money
Democratic Republic of the Congo has a GDP per capita of $807 as of 2025, while in Malawi, the GDP per capita is $672 as of 2025.
Life
be 47.3% less likely to die during childbirth
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 427.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malawi, 225.0 women do as of 2023.
be 32.6% less likely to die during infancy
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 56.4 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.
have 23.8% fewer children
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, there are approximately 40.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Malawi, there are 31.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 2.0 times more likely to have access to drinking water
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 36% of people have access to drinking water (59% in urban areas, and 14% 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.
be 29.4% less likely to have access to electricity
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 22% of people have electricity access (56% in urban areas, and 1% 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.
Expenditures
spend 77.4% more on healthcare
Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 3.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Malawi, that number is 6.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 23.9% more likely to die in a road accident
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, road accidents kill 16.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malawi, they kill 20.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 3.0 times more home broadband
Democratic Republic of the Congo has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malawi has 0.1 as of 2024.
live with 76.1 times more strain on fresh water
Democratic Republic of the Congo withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malawi withdraws 18% as of 2022.
Environment
be 40.3% less likely to die from air pollution
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, air pollution causes 72.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Malawi, it causes 43.0 as of 2019.
emit 3.7 times more CO2
Democratic Republic of the Congo emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Malawi emits 0.2 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: Democratic Republic of the Congo vs. Malawi
MORE COMPARISONS
Malawi: At a glance
How big is Malawi compared to Democratic Republic of the Congo? See an in-depth size comparison.