Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Malawi instead of Guam, you would:

Health

live 9.9 years less

In Guam, the average life expectancy is 77 years (74 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Economy

make 98.4% less money

Guam has a GDP per capita of $41,833 as of 2022, while in Malawi, the GDP per capita is $672 as of 2025.

View global rankings →

Life

have 79.6% more children

In Guam, there are approximately 17.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Malawi, there are 31.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 3.3 times more likely to die during infancy

In Guam, approximately 11.5 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.

View global rankings →

Basic Needs

be 84.4% less likely to have access to electricity

In Guam, 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.

View global rankings →

be 76.4% less likely to have internet access

In Guam, approximately 80.5% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Malawi, about 19.0% do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 26.6% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Guam, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Malawi, 73% of people do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

find 95.1% less home broadband

Guam has 1.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Malawi has 0.1 as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), The World Factbook (2021–2022). How we calculate this

Compare further: Guam vs. Malawi

Cost of Living Comparison · 6 categories - 2026 data
Malawi is 71.6% cheaper than Guam overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Guam is about 218 times smaller than Malawi.
→
Moving from Guam to Malawi · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

Malawi: At a glance

Malawi is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 94,080 sq km. Established in 1891, the British protectorate of Nyasaland became the independent nation of Malawi in 1964. After three decades of one-party rule under President Hastings Kamuzu BANDA the country held multiparty elections in 1994, under a provisional constitution that came into full effect the following year. President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA, elected in May 2004 after a failed attempt by the previous president to amend the constitution to permit another term, struggled to assert his authority against his predecessor and subsequently started his own party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in 2005. MUTHARIKA was reelected to a second term in May 2009. He oversaw some economic improvement in his first term, but was accused of economic mismanagement and poor governance in his second term. He died abruptly in April 2012 and was succeeded by his vice president, Joyce BANDA, who had earlier started her own party, the People's Party (PP). Population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, corruption, and the scourge of HIV/AIDS pose major problems for Malawi.
Read more

How big is Malawi compared to Guam? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Malawi or Guam. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.