Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malaysia instead of Indonesia, you would:
Health
live 5.5 years longer
In Indonesia, the average life expectancy is 71 years (69 years for men, 73 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 3.5 times more spent on your healthcare
Indonesia spends $417 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malaysia spends $1,441 as of 2023.
have 4.5 times more doctors per person
Indonesia has 5.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Malaysia has 23.4 as of 2023.
have 38.2% more access to essential health services
Indonesia scores 55 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Malaysia scores 76 as of 2021.
be 97.7% more likely to be obese
In Indonesia, 11.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 23.3% of people as of 2024.
be 4.7 times more likely to die by suicide
Indonesia has a suicide rate of 1.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malaysia, it is 5.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 40.0% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Indonesia, 8.5% live below the poverty line as of 2025. In Malaysia, however, that number is 5.1% as of 2023.
make 2.6 times more money
Indonesia has a GDP per capita of $5,060 as of 2025, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $13,125 as of 2025.
be 16.0% more likely to be unemployed
In Indonesia, 3.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malaysia, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.
Life
be 81.4% less likely to die during childbirth
In Indonesia, approximately 140.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malaysia, 26.0 women do as of 2023.
be 53.9% less likely to die during infancy
In Indonesia, approximately 15.2 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 21.6% fewer children
In Indonesia, there are approximately 15.8 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 34.7% more likely to have internet access
In Indonesia, approximately 72.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malaysia, about 98.0% do as of 2024.
be 10.0% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Indonesia, approximately 89% of people have access to drinking water (95% in urban areas, and 80% 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 2.7 times more on education
Indonesia spends 1.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Malaysia spends 3.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 46.7% more on healthcare
Indonesia spends 2.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 4.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 91.5% less coastline
Indonesia has a total of 54,716 km of coastline. In Malaysia, that number is 4,675 km.
Safety
be 44.1% more likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Indonesia, 63% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2020. In Malaysia, that number is 90% as of 2021.
be 2.4 times more likely to be murdered
Indonesia has a homicide rate of 0.3 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In Malaysia, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 23.0% more likely to die in a road accident
In Indonesia, road accidents kill 11.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malaysia, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 2.8 times more home broadband
Indonesia has 4.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malaysia has 13.6 as of 2024.
live with 88.4% less strain on fresh water
Indonesia withdraws 30% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malaysia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 3.5 times more electricity
Indonesia uses 1,445 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 2.9 times more CO2
Indonesia emits 2.9 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 (2020–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Indonesia vs. Malaysia
Malaysia: At a glance
How big is Malaysia compared to Indonesia? See an in-depth size comparison.