Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malaysia instead of Democratic Republic of the Congo, you would:
Health
live 14.7 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 Malaysia, that number is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.
see 25.0 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). Malaysia spends $1,441 as of 2023.
have 11.3 times more doctors per person
Democratic Republic of the Congo has 2.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Malaysia has 23.4 as of 2023.
have 81.0% 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. Malaysia scores 76 as of 2021.
be 35.6% 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 Malaysia, it is 5.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 3.5 times more likely to be obese
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 6.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 23.3% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 15.1% less likely to be unemployed
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 4.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malaysia, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.
be 90.9% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 56.2% live below the poverty line as of 2020. In Malaysia, however, that number is 5.1% as of 2023.
make 16.3 times more money
Democratic Republic of the Congo has a GDP per capita of $807 as of 2025, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $13,125 as of 2025.
Life
be 93.9% 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 Malaysia, 26.0 women do as of 2023.
be 39.8% more likely to be literate
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, the literacy rate is 68.5% as of 2023. In Malaysia, it is 95.8% as of 2022.
be 87.6% 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 Malaysia, on the other hand, 7.0 children do as of 2024.
have 69.8% fewer children
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, there are approximately 40.9 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 4.5 times more 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 Malaysia, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 5.0 times more likely to have internet access
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 19.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malaysia, about 98.0% do as of 2024.
be 2.7 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 Malaysia, that number is 98% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 95% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 23.6% more on education
Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Malaysia spends 3.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Geography
see 126.4 times more coastline
Democratic Republic of the Congo has a total of 37 km of coastline. In Malaysia, that number is 4,675 km.
Safety
be 14.7% less 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 Malaysia, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 451.7 times more home broadband
Democratic Republic of the Congo has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malaysia has 13.6 as of 2024.
use 39.6 times more electricity
Democratic Republic of the Congo uses 129 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh as of 2023.
live with 15.0 times more strain on fresh water
Democratic Republic of the Congo withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malaysia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
Environment
be 12.5% 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 Malaysia, it causes 63.0 as of 2019.
emit 138.7 times more CO2
Democratic Republic of the Congo emits 0.1 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 (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Democratic Republic of the Congo vs. Malaysia
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Malaysia: At a glance
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