Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malawi instead of Kenya, you would:
Health
live 3.7 years longer
In Kenya, the average life expectancy is 64 years (62 years for men, 66 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 29.1% less likely to be obese
In Kenya, 11.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 8.0% of people as of 2024.
be 2.1 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Kenya, 3.0% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 6.2% of people as of 2024.
see 54.3% less spent on your healthcare
Kenya spends $274 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malawi spends $125 as of 2023.
have 81.3% fewer doctors per person
Kenya has 2.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Malawi has 0.5 as of 2022.
be 65.3% more likely to die by suicide
Kenya has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malawi, it is 7.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 18.8% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Kenya, 39.8% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Malawi, however, that number is 47.3% as of 2024.
make 71.6% less money
Kenya has a GDP per capita of $2,363 as of 2025, while in Malawi, the GDP per capita is $672 as of 2025.
Life
have 15.5% more children
In Kenya, there are approximately 27.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Malawi, there are 31.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 51.0% more likely to die during childbirth
In Kenya, approximately 149.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malawi, 225.0 women do as of 2023.
be 18.5% less likely to be literate
In Kenya, the literacy rate is 82.6% as of 2021. In Malawi, it is 67.3% as of 2021.
be 11.1% more likely to die during infancy
In Kenya, approximately 34.2 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 11.4% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Kenya, approximately 66% of people have access to drinking water (89% in urban areas, and 56% 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.
be 79.5% less likely to have access to electricity
In Kenya, approximately 76% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 68% 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 45.8% less likely to have internet access
In Kenya, approximately 35.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malawi, about 19.0% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 31.6% less on education
Kenya spends 4.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Malawi spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 50.1% more on healthcare
Kenya spends 4.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Malawi, that number is 6.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 28.4% less likely to die in a road accident
In Kenya, road accidents kill 28.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malawi, they kill 20.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 47.4% less strain on fresh water
Kenya withdraws 33% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malawi withdraws 18% as of 2022.
find 97.0% less home broadband
Kenya has 3.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malawi has 0.1 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 42.1% less CO2
Kenya emits 0.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Malawi emits 0.2 tonnes as of 2024.
be 30.3% more likely to die from air pollution
In Kenya, air pollution causes 33.0 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), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Kenya vs. Malawi
Malawi: At a glance
How big is Malawi compared to Kenya? See an in-depth size comparison.