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

Health

live 6.8 years longer

In Malawi, the average life expectancy is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In Belarus, that number is 74 years (70 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 17.5 times more spent on your healthcare

Malawi spends $125 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Belarus spends $2,194 as of 2023.

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have 87.4 times more doctors per person

Malawi has 0.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Belarus has 47.2 as of 2023.

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have 64.6% more access to essential health services

Malawi scores 48 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Belarus scores 79 as of 2021.

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be 2.6 times more likely to be obese

In Malawi, 8.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Belarus, that number is 20.6% of people as of 2024.

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be 2.1 times more likely to die by suicide

Malawi has a suicide rate of 7.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Belarus, it is 15.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 33.3% less likely to be unemployed

In Malawi, 5.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Belarus, that number is 3.4% as of 2025.

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be 92.6% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Malawi, 47.3% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Belarus, however, that number is 3.5% as of 2024.

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make 15.3 times more money

Malawi has a GDP per capita of $672 as of 2025, while in Belarus, the GDP per capita is $10,279 as of 2025.

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Life

be 99.6% less likely to die during childbirth

In Malawi, approximately 225.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Belarus, 1.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 48.4% more likely to be literate

In Malawi, the literacy rate is 67.3% as of 2021. In Belarus, it is 99.9% as of 2019.

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be 95.3% less likely to die during infancy

In Malawi, approximately 38.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Belarus, on the other hand, 1.8 children do as of 2024.

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have 77.4% fewer children

In Malawi, there are approximately 31.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Belarus, there are 7.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 6.4 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Malawi, approximately 16% of people have electricity access (58% in urban areas, and 6% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Belarus, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 5.0 times more likely to have internet access

In Malawi, approximately 19.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Belarus, about 94.3% do as of 2024.

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be 36.7% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Malawi, approximately 73% of people have access to drinking water (86% in urban areas, and 70% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Belarus, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 83.6% more on education

Malawi spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Belarus spends 5.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.

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Safety

be 63.4% less likely to die in a road accident

In Malawi, road accidents kill 20.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Belarus, they kill 7.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 402.9 times more home broadband

Malawi has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Belarus has 36.3 as of 2024.

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live with 73.4% less strain on fresh water

Malawi withdraws 18% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Belarus withdraws 5% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 58.1% more likely to die from air pollution

In Malawi, air pollution causes 43.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Belarus, it causes 68.0 as of 2019.

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emit 27.0 times more CO2

Malawi emits 0.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Belarus emits 5.9 tonnes as of 2024.

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

Belarus: At a glance

Belarus is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 202,900 sq km. After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR, Belarus attained its independence in 1991. It has retained closer political and economic ties to Russia than have any of the other former Soviet republics. Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state union on 8 December 1999 envisioning greater political and economic integration. Although Belarus agreed to a framework to carry out the accord, serious implementation has yet to take place. Since his election in July 1994 as the country's first directly elected president, Aleksandr LUKASHENKO has steadily consolidated his power through authoritarian means and a centralized economic system. Government restrictions on freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly, and religion remain in place.
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How big is Belarus compared to Malawi? See an in-depth size comparison.

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