Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Malawi instead of Kenya, you would:

Health

live 2.8 years longer

In Kenya, the average life expectancy is 70 years (68 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2022. In Malawi, that number is 72 years (69 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022.

be 18.3% less likely to be obese

In Kenya, 7.1% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Malawi, that number is 5.8% of people as of 2016.

be 92.9% more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Kenya, 4.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Malawi, that number is 8.1% of people as of 2020.

Economy

be 49.0% less likely to be unemployed

In Kenya, 40.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2013. In Malawi, that number is 20.4% as of 2013.

make 64.3% less money

Kenya has a GDP per capita of $4,200 as of 2020, while in Malawi, the GDP per capita is $1,500 as of 2020.

be 42.7% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Kenya, 36.1% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Malawi, however, that number is 51.5% as of 2016.

Life

be 23.8% less likely to be literate

In Kenya, the literacy rate is 81.5% as of 2018. In Malawi, it is 62.1% as of 2015.

be 20.0% more likely to die during infancy

In Kenya, approximately 27.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Malawi, on the other hand, 33.4 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 29.2% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Kenya, approximately 71% of people have improved drinking water access (91% in urban areas, and 63% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Malawi, that number is 92% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 91% in rural areas) as of 2020.

be 84.7% less likely to have access to electricity

In Kenya, approximately 85% of people have electricity access (99% in urban areas, and 79% in rural areas) as of 2019. In Malawi, that number is 13% of people on average (55% in urban areas, and 5% in rural areas) as of 2019.

be 21.5% less likely to have internet access

In Kenya, approximately 17.8% of the population has internet access as of 2018. In Malawi, about 14.0% do as of 2019.

Expenditures

spend 43.1% less on education

Kenya spends 5.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Malawi spends 2.9% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 60.9% more on healthcare

Kenya spends 4.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Malawi, that number is 7.4% of GDP as of 2019.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Malawi: At a glance

Malawi is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 94,080 sq km. Established in 1891, the British protectorate of Nyasaland became the independent nation of Malawi in 1964. After three decades of one-party rule under President Hastings Kamuzu BANDA the country held multiparty elections in 1994, under a provisional constitution that came into full effect the following year. President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA, elected in May 2004 after a failed attempt by the previous president to amend the constitution to permit another term, struggled to assert his authority against his predecessor and subsequently started his own party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in 2005. MUTHARIKA was reelected to a second term in May 2009. He oversaw some economic improvement in his first term, but was accused of economic mismanagement and poor governance in his second term. He died abruptly in April 2012 and was succeeded by his vice president, Joyce BANDA, who had earlier started her own party, the People's Party (PP). Population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, corruption, and the scourge of HIV/AIDS pose major problems for Malawi.
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