Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malawi instead of Gambia, you would:
Health
live 1.5 years longer
In Gambia, the average life expectancy is 66 years (64 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.
be 35.4% less likely to be obese
In Gambia, 12.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 8.0% of people as of 2024.
see 33.2% more spent on your healthcare
Gambia spends $94 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malawi spends $125 as of 2023.
be 4.8 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Gambia, 1.3% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 6.2% of people as of 2024.
have 40.0% fewer doctors per person
Gambia has 0.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Malawi has 0.5 as of 2022.
be 57.4% more likely to die by suicide
Gambia has a suicide rate of 4.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malawi, it is 7.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 22.2% less likely to be unemployed
In Gambia, 6.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malawi, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
make 26.9% less money
Gambia has a GDP per capita of $919 as of 2025, while in Malawi, the GDP per capita is $672 as of 2025.
Life
be 36.4% less likely to die during childbirth
In Gambia, approximately 354.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malawi, 225.0 women do as of 2023.
be 30.3% more likely to be literate
In Gambia, the literacy rate is 51.6% as of 2021. In Malawi, it is 67.3% as of 2021.
be 16.2% more likely to die during infancy
In Gambia, approximately 32.7 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.
Basic Needs
be 76.7% less likely to have access to electricity
In Gambia, approximately 67% of people have electricity access (85% in urban areas, and 35% 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 61.7% less likely to have internet access
In Gambia, approximately 49.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malawi, about 19.0% do as of 2024.
be 16.1% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Gambia, approximately 87% of people have access to drinking water (92% in urban areas, and 78% 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.
Expenditures
spend 2.3 times more on healthcare
Gambia spends 2.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Malawi, that number is 6.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 82.7% less home broadband
Gambia has 0.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malawi has 0.1 as of 2024.
live with 7.9 times more strain on fresh water
Gambia withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malawi withdraws 18% as of 2022.
Environment
be 52.2% less likely to die from air pollution
In Gambia, air pollution causes 90.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Malawi, it causes 43.0 as of 2019.
emit 22.2% more CO2
Gambia emits 0.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Malawi emits 0.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Gambia vs. Malawi
Malawi: At a glance
How big is Malawi compared to Gambia? See an in-depth size comparison.