Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malaysia instead of Djibouti, you would:
Health
live 10.6 years longer
In Djibouti, the average life expectancy is 66 years (64 years for men, 69 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 9.3 times more spent on your healthcare
Djibouti spends $155 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malaysia spends $1,441 as of 2023.
have 11.1 times more doctors per person
Djibouti has 2.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Malaysia has 23.4 as of 2023.
have 72.7% more access to essential health services
Djibouti scores 44 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Malaysia scores 76 as of 2021.
be 29.0% less likely to die by suicide
Djibouti has a suicide rate of 8.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malaysia, it is 5.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 2.0 times more likely to be obese
In Djibouti, 11.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 23.3% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 85.5% less likely to be unemployed
In Djibouti, 26.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malaysia, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.
make 3.4 times more money
Djibouti has a GDP per capita of $3,906 as of 2025, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $13,125 as of 2025.
Life
be 84.0% less likely to die during childbirth
In Djibouti, approximately 162.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malaysia, 26.0 women do as of 2023.
be 83.7% less likely to die during infancy
In Djibouti, approximately 43.0 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 40.9% fewer children
In Djibouti, there are approximately 20.9 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 53.4% more likely to have access to electricity
In Djibouti, approximately 65% of people have electricity access (75% in urban areas, and 37% 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 50.1% more likely to have internet access
In Djibouti, approximately 65.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malaysia, about 98.0% do as of 2024.
be 22.9% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Djibouti, approximately 80% of people have access to drinking water (84% in urban areas, and 62% 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 73.7% more on healthcare
Djibouti spends 2.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 4.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 14.9 times more coastline
Djibouti has a total of 314 km of coastline. In Malaysia, that number is 4,675 km.
Safety
be 40.3% less likely to die in a road accident
In Djibouti, road accidents kill 23.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malaysia, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 9.2 times more home broadband
Djibouti has 1.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Malaysia has 13.6 as of 2024.
live with 45.7% less strain on fresh water
Djibouti withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malaysia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 10.8 times more CO2
Djibouti emits 0.8 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 (2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Djibouti vs. Malaysia
Malaysia: At a glance
How big is Malaysia compared to Djibouti? See an in-depth size comparison.