Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malaysia instead of Japan, you would:
Health
be 67.6% less likely to die by suicide
Japan has a suicide rate of 17.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malaysia, it is 5.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 7.2 years less
In Japan, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.
be 4.0 times more likely to be obese
In Japan, 5.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 23.3% of people as of 2024.
see 73.1% less spent on your healthcare
Japan spends $5,365 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malaysia spends $1,441 as of 2023.
have 11.6% fewer doctors per person
Japan has 26.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Malaysia has 23.4 as of 2023.
Economy
be 53.5% more likely to be unemployed
In Japan, 2.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malaysia, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.
make 63.5% less money
Japan has a GDP per capita of $35,951 as of 2025, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $13,125 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.2 times more children
In Japan, there are approximately 5.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Malaysia, there are 12.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 8.7 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 Malaysia, 26.0 women do as of 2023.
be 3.9 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 Malaysia, on the other hand, 7.0 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 14.6% more likely to have internet access
In Japan, approximately 85.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malaysia, about 98.0% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 63.1% less on healthcare
Japan spends 10.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 4.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 84.3% less coastline
Japan has a total of 29,751 km of coastline. In Malaysia, that number is 4,675 km.
Safety
be 3.2 times more likely to be murdered
Japan has a homicide rate of 0.2 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 5.1 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Japan, road accidents kill 2.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malaysia, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 90.6% less strain on fresh water
Japan withdraws 37% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malaysia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
find 64.9% less home broadband
Japan has 38.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Malaysia has 13.6 as of 2024.
use 32.5% less electricity
Japan uses 7,530 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 5.2 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Japan, air pollution causes 12.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Malaysia, it causes 63.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Japan vs. Malaysia
Malaysia: At a glance
How big is Malaysia compared to Japan? See an in-depth size comparison.