Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 2.7 years longer

In Malawi, the average life expectancy is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In Greenland, that number is 70 years (68 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 3.5 times more likely to be obese

In Malawi, 8.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Greenland, that number is 28.1% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

make 87.1 times more money

Malawi has a GDP per capita of $672 as of 2025, while in Greenland, the GDP per capita is $58,499 as of 2023.

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Life

be 77.0% 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 Greenland, on the other hand, 8.8 children do as of 2022.

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have 61.5% fewer children

In Malawi, there are approximately 31.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Greenland, there are 12.0 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 Greenland, 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 3.7 times more likely to have internet access

In Malawi, approximately 19.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Greenland, about 69.5% do as of 2021.

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be 36.9% 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 Greenland, 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 3.7 times more on education

Malawi spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Greenland spends 10.2% of total GDP on education as of 2019.

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Infrastructure

find 355.3 times more home broadband

Malawi has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Greenland has 32.0 as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 47.5 times more CO2

Malawi emits 0.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Greenland emits 10.4 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), The World Factbook (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Compare further: Malawi vs. Greenland

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Greenland is 3.5 times more expensive than Malawi overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Malawi is about 18 times smaller than Greenland.
→
Moving from Malawi to Greenland · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

Greenland: At a glance

Greenland is a sovereign country in North America, with a total land area of approximately 2,166,086 sq km. Greenland, the world's largest island, is about 81% ice-capped. Vikings reached the island in the 10th century from Iceland; Danish colonization began in the 18th century, and Greenland was made an integral part of Denmark in 1953. It joined the European Community (now the EU) with Denmark in 1973 but withdrew in 1985 over a dispute centered on stringent fishing quotas. Greenland was granted self-government in 1979 by the Danish parliament; the law went into effect the following year. Greenland voted in favor of increased self-rule in November 2008 and acquired greater responsibility for internal affairs when the Act on Greenland Self-Government was signed into law in June 2009. Denmark, however, continues to exercise control over several policy areas on behalf of Greenland including foreign affairs, security, and financial policy in consultation with Greenland's Self-Rule Government.
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How big is Greenland compared to Malawi? See an in-depth size comparison.

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