Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malaysia instead of Madagascar, you would:
Health
live 13.0 years longer
In Madagascar, the average life expectancy is 64 years (62 years for men, 66 years for women) as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.
see 22.9 times more spent on your healthcare
Madagascar spends $63 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malaysia spends $1,441 as of 2023.
have 13.6 times more doctors per person
Madagascar has 1.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Malaysia has 23.4 as of 2023.
have 2.2 times more access to essential health services
Madagascar scores 35 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Malaysia scores 76 as of 2021.
be 5.2 times more likely to be obese
In Madagascar, 4.5% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 23.3% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 93.2% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Madagascar, 75.2% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Malaysia, however, that number is 5.1% as of 2023.
make 21.9 times more money
Madagascar has a GDP per capita of $599 as of 2025, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $13,125 as of 2025.
be 23.7% more likely to be unemployed
In Madagascar, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malaysia, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.
Life
be 94.2% less likely to die during childbirth
In Madagascar, approximately 445.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malaysia, 26.0 women do as of 2023.
be 28.2% more likely to be literate
In Madagascar, the literacy rate is 74.7% as of 2021. In Malaysia, it is 95.8% as of 2022.
be 83.7% less likely to die during infancy
In Madagascar, approximately 43.0 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.
have 61.0% fewer children
In Madagascar, there are approximately 31.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Malaysia, there are 12.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 2.5 times more likely to have access to electricity
In Madagascar, approximately 39% of people have electricity access (76% in urban areas, and 15% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 5.2 times more likely to have internet access
In Madagascar, approximately 18.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malaysia, about 98.0% do as of 2024.
be 77.0% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Madagascar, approximately 55% of people have access to drinking water (78% in urban areas, and 39% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 98% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 95% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 15.1% more on education
Madagascar spends 3.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Malaysia spends 3.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 15.5% more on healthcare
Madagascar spends 3.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 4.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 38.2% less likely to die in a road accident
In Madagascar, road accidents kill 22.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malaysia, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 112.9 times more home broadband
Madagascar has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Malaysia has 13.6 as of 2024.
live with 69.4% less strain on fresh water
Madagascar withdraws 11% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malaysia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 63.5 times more electricity
Madagascar uses 80 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 55.5 times more CO2
Madagascar emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Malaysia emits 8.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Madagascar vs. Malaysia
Malaysia: At a glance
How big is Malaysia compared to Madagascar? See an in-depth size comparison.