Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malaysia instead of Kazakhstan, you would:
Health
live 2.3 years longer
In Kazakhstan, the average life expectancy is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 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 61.3% less likely to die by suicide
Kazakhstan has a suicide rate of 14.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malaysia, it is 5.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 10.6% more likely to be obese
In Kazakhstan, 21.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 23.3% of people as of 2024.
have 37.6% fewer doctors per person
Kazakhstan has 37.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Malaysia has 23.4 as of 2023.
Economy
be 21.2% less likely to be unemployed
In Kazakhstan, 4.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malaysia, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.
make 10.7% less money
Kazakhstan has a GDP per capita of $14,692 as of 2025, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $13,125 as of 2025.
Life
be 2.6 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Kazakhstan, approximately 10.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malaysia, 26.0 women do as of 2023.
have 36.7% fewer children
In Kazakhstan, there are approximately 19.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Malaysia, there are 12.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 27.8% less on education
Kazakhstan spends 4.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Malaysia spends 3.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Safety
be 71.4% less likely to be murdered
Kazakhstan has a homicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In Malaysia, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 13.9% more likely to die in a road accident
In Kazakhstan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malaysia, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 90.1% less strain on fresh water
Kazakhstan withdraws 35% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malaysia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
find 11.6% less home broadband
Kazakhstan has 15.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malaysia has 13.6 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 33.8% less CO2
Kazakhstan emits 12.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Malaysia emits 8.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Kazakhstan vs. Malaysia
Malaysia: At a glance
How big is Malaysia compared to Kazakhstan? See an in-depth size comparison.