Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malaysia instead of Ethiopia, you would:
Health
live 9.2 years longer
In Ethiopia, the average life expectancy is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 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 16.8 times more spent on your healthcare
Ethiopia spends $86 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malaysia spends $1,441 as of 2023.
have 16.4 times more doctors per person
Ethiopia has 1.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Malaysia has 23.4 as of 2023.
have 2.2 times more access to essential health services
Ethiopia scores 35 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Malaysia scores 76 as of 2021.
be 8.0 times more likely to be obese
In Ethiopia, 2.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 23.3% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 84.6% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Ethiopia, 33.1% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Malaysia, however, that number is 5.1% as of 2023.
make 14.1 times more money
Ethiopia has a GDP per capita of $933 as of 2025, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $13,125 as of 2025.
be 13.3% more likely to be unemployed
In Ethiopia, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malaysia, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.
Life
be 86.7% less likely to die during childbirth
In Ethiopia, approximately 195.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malaysia, 26.0 women do as of 2023.
be 58.4% more likely to be literate
In Ethiopia, the literacy rate is 60.5% as of 2022. In Malaysia, it is 95.8% as of 2022.
be 79.7% less likely to die during infancy
In Ethiopia, approximately 34.5 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.
have 60.7% fewer children
In Ethiopia, there are approximately 31.5 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 80.5% more likely to have access to electricity
In Ethiopia, approximately 55% of people have electricity access (95% in urban areas, and 44% 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 4.5 times more likely to have internet access
In Ethiopia, approximately 21.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malaysia, about 98.0% do as of 2024.
be 76.2% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Ethiopia, approximately 56% of people have access to drinking water (83% in urban areas, and 47% 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 52.6% more on education
Ethiopia spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Malaysia spends 3.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 41.4% more on healthcare
Ethiopia spends 2.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 4.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 21.5% less likely to die in a road accident
In Ethiopia, road accidents kill 17.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malaysia, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 23.0 times more home broadband
Ethiopia has 0.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malaysia has 13.6 as of 2024.
live with 89.3% less strain on fresh water
Ethiopia withdraws 32% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malaysia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 45.2 times more electricity
Ethiopia uses 113 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 37.0% more likely to die from air pollution
In Ethiopia, air pollution causes 46.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Malaysia, it causes 63.0 as of 2019.
emit 55.5 times more CO2
Ethiopia emits 0.1 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 (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Ethiopia vs. Malaysia
Malaysia: At a glance
How big is Malaysia compared to Ethiopia? See an in-depth size comparison.