Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malaysia instead of India, you would:
Health
live 4.6 years longer
In India, the average life expectancy is 72 years (71 years for men, 74 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 4.2 times more spent on your healthcare
India spends $346 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malaysia spends $1,441 as of 2023.
have 3.2 times more doctors per person
India has 7.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. Malaysia has 23.4 as of 2023.
have 20.6% more access to essential health services
India scores 63 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Malaysia scores 76 as of 2021.
be 55.0% less likely to die by suicide
India has a suicide rate of 12.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malaysia, it is 5.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 2.9 times more likely to be obese
In India, 8.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 23.3% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 10.9% less likely to be unemployed
In India, 4.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malaysia, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.
make 4.9 times more money
India has a GDP per capita of $2,702 as of 2025, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $13,125 as of 2025.
Life
be 67.5% less likely to die during childbirth
In India, approximately 80.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malaysia, 26.0 women do as of 2023.
be 22.5% more likely to be literate
In India, the literacy rate is 78.2% as of 2024. In Malaysia, it is 95.8% as of 2022.
be 70.0% less likely to die during infancy
In India, approximately 23.3 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 22.7% fewer children
In India, there are approximately 16.0 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 40.0% more likely to have internet access
In India, approximately 70.0% of the population has internet access as of 2025. In Malaysia, about 98.0% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 14.4% less on education
India spends 4.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Malaysia spends 3.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 18.6% more on healthcare
India spends 3.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 4.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 33.2% less coastline
India has a total of 7,000 km of coastline. In Malaysia, that number is 4,675 km.
Safety
be 74.1% less likely to be murdered
India has a homicide rate of 2.8 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In Malaysia, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 4.3 times more home broadband
India has 3.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malaysia has 13.6 as of 2024.
live with 94.8% less strain on fresh water
India withdraws 66% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malaysia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 4.3 times more electricity
India uses 1,182 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 24.1% less likely to die from air pollution
In India, air pollution causes 83.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Malaysia, it causes 63.0 as of 2019.
emit 3.8 times more CO2
India emits 2.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Malaysia emits 8.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: India vs. Malaysia
Malaysia: At a glance
How big is Malaysia compared to India? See an in-depth size comparison.