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

Health

be 76.2% less likely to be obese

In Libya, 33.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 8.0% of people as of 2024.

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be 62.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Libya, 0.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 6.2% of people as of 2024.

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live 3.6 years less

In Libya, the average life expectancy is 71 years (70 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 88.1% less spent on your healthcare

Libya spends $1,055 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malawi spends $125 as of 2023.

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have 22.6% less access to essential health services

Libya scores 62 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Malawi scores 48 as of 2021.

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be 51.4% more likely to die by suicide

Libya has a suicide rate of 5.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malawi, it is 7.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 73.0% less likely to be unemployed

In Libya, 18.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malawi, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.

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make 89.6% less money

Libya has a GDP per capita of $6,449 as of 2025, while in Malawi, the GDP per capita is $672 as of 2025.

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Life

have 88.7% more children

In Libya, there are approximately 16.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Malawi, there are 31.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 3.8 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Libya, approximately 59.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malawi, 225.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 4.8 times more likely to die during infancy

In Libya, approximately 7.9 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.

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Basic Needs

be 78.7% less likely to have access to electricity

In Libya, approximately 73% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 96% 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.

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be 76.9% less likely to have internet access

In Libya, approximately 82.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malawi, about 19.0% do as of 2024.

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be 24.2% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Libya, approximately 96% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Malawi, 73% of people do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 16.4% less on healthcare

Libya spends 7.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Malawi, that number is 6.5% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 40.6% less likely to die in a road accident

In Libya, road accidents kill 34.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malawi, they kill 20.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 97.9% less strain on fresh water

Libya withdraws 817% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malawi withdraws 18% as of 2022.

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find 98.0% less home broadband

Libya has 4.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Malawi has 0.1 as of 2024.

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Environment

be 20.4% less likely to die from air pollution

In Libya, air pollution causes 54.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Malawi, it causes 43.0 as of 2019.

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emit 97.5% less CO2

Libya emits 8.7 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Malawi emits 0.2 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

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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