Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malawi instead of Japan, you would:
Health
be 56.6% less likely to die by suicide
Japan has a suicide rate of 17.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malawi, it is 7.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 16.5 years less
In Japan, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 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 35.6% more likely to be obese
In Japan, 5.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 8.0% of people as of 2024.
see 97.7% less spent on your healthcare
Japan spends $5,365 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malawi spends $125 as of 2023.
have 98.0% fewer doctors per person
Japan has 26.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Malawi has 0.5 as of 2022.
have 42.2% less access to essential health services
Japan scores 83 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Malawi scores 48 as of 2021.
Economy
be 2.1 times more likely to be unemployed
In Japan, 2.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malawi, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
make 98.1% less money
Japan has a GDP per capita of $35,951 as of 2025, while in Malawi, the GDP per capita is $672 as of 2025.
Life
have 5.5 times more children
In Japan, there are approximately 5.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Malawi, there are 31.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 75.0 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Japan, approximately 3.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malawi, 225.0 women do as of 2023.
be 21.1 times more likely to die during infancy
In Japan, approximately 1.8 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 Japan, 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 Japan, approximately 85.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malawi, about 19.0% do as of 2024.
be 26.3% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Japan, approximately 99% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Malawi, 73% of people do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 17.7% less on education
Japan spends 3.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Malawi spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 39.2% less on healthcare
Japan spends 10.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Malawi, that number is 6.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 7.5 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Japan, road accidents kill 2.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malawi, they kill 20.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 52.2% less strain on fresh water
Japan withdraws 37% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malawi withdraws 18% as of 2022.
find 99.8% less home broadband
Japan has 38.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Malawi has 0.1 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 97.2% less CO2
Japan emits 7.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Malawi emits 0.2 tonnes as of 2024.
be 3.6 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Japan, air pollution causes 12.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Malawi, it causes 43.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Japan vs. Malawi
Malawi: At a glance
How big is Malawi compared to Japan? See an in-depth size comparison.