Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malawi instead of French Polynesia, you would:
Health
be 83.7% less likely to be obese
In French Polynesia, 49.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 8.0% of people as of 2024.
live 16.6 years less
In French Polynesia, the average life expectancy is 84 years (82 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.
Economy
be 56.5% less likely to be unemployed
In French Polynesia, 11.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malawi, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
make 97.0% less money
French Polynesia has a GDP per capita of $22,440 as of 2024, while in Malawi, the GDP per capita is $672 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.9 times more children
In French Polynesia, there are approximately 10.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Malawi, there are 31.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 8.6 times more likely to die during infancy
In French Polynesia, approximately 4.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Malawi, on the other hand, 38.0 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 84.4% less likely to have access to electricity
In French Polynesia, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% 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.
be 73.9% less likely to have internet access
In French Polynesia, approximately 72.7% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Malawi, about 19.0% do as of 2024.
be 27.0% less likely to have access to drinking water
In French Polynesia, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Malawi, 73% of people do as of 2024.
Safety
be 6.0 times more likely to be murdered
French Polynesia has a homicide rate of 0.3 per 100,000 people as of 2009. In Malawi, that number is 1.8 per 100,000 as of 2012.
Infrastructure
find 99.7% less home broadband
French Polynesia has 35.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Malawi has 0.1 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 93.6% less CO2
French Polynesia emits 3.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Malawi emits 0.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2023–2025), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021–2022), United Nations SDG Indicators (2009–2012). How we calculate this
Compare further: French Polynesia vs. Malawi
Malawi: At a glance
How big is Malawi compared to French Polynesia? See an in-depth size comparison.