Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malawi instead of Iran, you would:
Health
be 67.4% less likely to be obese
In Iran, 24.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 8.0% of people as of 2024.
live 10.3 years less
In Iran, the average life expectancy is 78 years (76 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.
see 88.2% less spent on your healthcare
Iran spends $1,064 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malawi spends $125 as of 2023.
have 97.0% fewer doctors per person
Iran has 18.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Malawi has 0.5 as of 2022.
have 35.1% less access to essential health services
Iran scores 74 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Malawi scores 48 as of 2021.
be 86.0% more likely to die by suicide
Iran has a suicide rate of 4.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malawi, it is 7.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 38.9% less likely to be unemployed
In Iran, 8.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malawi, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
make 82.9% less money
Iran has a GDP per capita of $3,924 as of 2025, while in Malawi, the GDP per capita is $672 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.5 times more children
In Iran, there are approximately 12.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Malawi, there are 31.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 14.1 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Iran, approximately 16.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malawi, 225.0 women do as of 2023.
be 24.3% less likely to be literate
In Iran, the literacy rate is 88.9% as of 2023. In Malawi, it is 67.3% as of 2021.
be 3.7 times more likely to die during infancy
In Iran, approximately 10.3 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 84.4% less likely to have access to electricity
In Iran, 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 77.8% less likely to have internet access
In Iran, approximately 85.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malawi, about 19.0% do as of 2024.
be 25.3% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Iran, approximately 98% of people have access to drinking water (99% in urban areas, and 95% 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.
Safety
be 25.0% less likely to be murdered
Iran has a homicide rate of 2.4 per 100,000 people as of 2014. In Malawi, that number is 1.8 per 100,000 as of 2012.
Infrastructure
live with 78.5% less strain on fresh water
Iran withdraws 81% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malawi withdraws 18% as of 2022.
find 99.3% less home broadband
Iran has 12.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malawi has 0.1 as of 2024.
Environment
be 15.7% less likely to die from air pollution
In Iran, air pollution causes 51.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Malawi, it causes 43.0 as of 2019.
emit 97.6% less CO2
Iran emits 9.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Malawi emits 0.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2012–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Iran vs. Malawi
Malawi: At a glance
How big is Malawi compared to Iran? See an in-depth size comparison.