Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Malawi, you would:
Health
see 10.8 times more spent on your healthcare
Malawi spends $125 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 14.7 times more doctors per person
Malawi has 0.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
have 47.9% more access to essential health services
Malawi scores 48 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Africa scores 71 as of 2021.
be 2.8 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Malawi, 6.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2024.
live 1.2 years less
In Malawi, the average life expectancy is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 66 years (63 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024.
be 4.0 times more likely to be obese
In Malawi, 8.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
be 2.9 times more likely to die by suicide
Malawi has a suicide rate of 7.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 19.9% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Malawi, 47.3% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In South Africa, however, that number is 37.9% as of 2022.
make 9.8 times more money
Malawi has a GDP per capita of $672 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
be 6.4 times more likely to be unemployed
In Malawi, 5.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
Life
be 47.6% 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 South Africa, 118.0 women do as of 2023.
be 35.4% more likely to be literate
In Malawi, the literacy rate is 67.3% as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 91.2% as of 2024.
be 36.3% 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 South Africa, on the other hand, 24.2 children do as of 2024.
have 40.7% fewer children
In Malawi, there are approximately 31.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Africa, there are 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 5.6 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 South Africa, that number is 88% of people on average (91% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 4.1 times more likely to have internet access
In Malawi, approximately 19.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
be 23.5% 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 South Africa, that number is 90% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 73% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.2 times more on education
Malawi spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 36.4% more on healthcare
Malawi spends 6.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 21.3% more likely to die in a road accident
In Malawi, road accidents kill 20.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 59.4 times more home broadband
Malawi has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
live with 3.9 times more strain on fresh water
Malawi withdraws 18% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 31.3 times more CO2
Malawi emits 0.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Malawi vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Malawi? See an in-depth size comparison.