Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Iran instead of Malawi, you would:
Health
live 10.3 years longer
In Malawi, the average life expectancy is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In Iran, that number is 78 years (76 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.
see 8.5 times more spent on your healthcare
Malawi spends $125 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Iran spends $1,064 as of 2023.
have 33.5 times more doctors per person
Malawi has 0.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Iran has 18.1 as of 2023.
have 54.2% more access to essential health services
Malawi scores 48 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Iran scores 74 as of 2021.
be 46.2% less likely to die by suicide
Malawi has a suicide rate of 7.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Iran, it is 4.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 3.1 times more likely to be obese
In Malawi, 8.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Iran, that number is 24.6% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 5.8 times more money
Malawi has a GDP per capita of $672 as of 2025, while in Iran, the GDP per capita is $3,924 as of 2025.
be 63.7% more likely to be unemployed
In Malawi, 5.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Iran, that number is 8.3% as of 2025.
Life
be 92.9% 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 Iran, 16.0 women do as of 2023.
be 32.1% more likely to be literate
In Malawi, the literacy rate is 67.3% as of 2021. In Iran, it is 88.9% as of 2023.
be 72.9% 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 Iran, on the other hand, 10.3 children do as of 2024.
have 59.6% fewer children
In Malawi, there are approximately 31.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Iran, there are 12.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
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 Iran, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 4.5 times more likely to have internet access
In Malawi, approximately 19.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Iran, about 85.3% do as of 2024.
be 33.9% 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 Iran, that number is 98% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 95% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Safety
be 33.3% more likely to be murdered
Malawi has a homicide rate of 1.8 per 100,000 people as of 2012. In Iran, that number is 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2014.
Infrastructure
find 134.0 times more home broadband
Malawi has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Iran has 12.1 as of 2024.
live with 4.6 times more strain on fresh water
Malawi withdraws 18% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Iran withdraws 81% as of 2022.
Environment
be 18.6% more likely to die from air pollution
In Malawi, air pollution causes 43.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Iran, it causes 51.0 as of 2019.
emit 41.1 times more CO2
Malawi emits 0.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Iran emits 9.1 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2012–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Malawi vs. Iran
Iran: At a glance
How big is Iran compared to Malawi? See an in-depth size comparison.