Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Uganda instead of Malawi, you would:
Health
be 21.0% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Malawi, 6.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Uganda, that number is 4.9% of people as of 2024.
live 0.9 years longer
In Malawi, the average life expectancy is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In Uganda, that number is 68 years (65 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.
see 10.7% more spent on your healthcare
Malawi spends $125 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Uganda spends $139 as of 2023.
have 3.5 times more doctors per person
Malawi has 0.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Uganda has 1.9 as of 2022.
be 27.3% less likely to die by suicide
Malawi has a suicide rate of 7.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Uganda, it is 5.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 18.4% more likely to be obese
In Malawi, 8.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Uganda, that number is 9.5% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 45.8% less likely to be unemployed
In Malawi, 5.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Uganda, that number is 2.8% as of 2025.
be 66.0% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Malawi, 47.3% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Uganda, however, that number is 16.1% as of 2023.
make 79.6% more money
Malawi has a GDP per capita of $672 as of 2025, while in Uganda, the GDP per capita is $1,206 as of 2025.
Life
be 24.4% 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 Uganda, 170.0 women do as of 2023.
be 14.5% more likely to be literate
In Malawi, the literacy rate is 67.3% as of 2021. In Uganda, it is 77.0% as of 2024.
have 10.6% more children
In Malawi, there are approximately 31.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Uganda, there are 34.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 3.3 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 Uganda, that number is 52% of people on average (76% in urban areas, and 42% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 52.8% less likely to have internet access
In Malawi, approximately 19.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Uganda, about 8.9% do as of 2024.
be 13.7% less 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 Uganda, that number is 63% of people on average (80% in urban areas, and 57% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 35.1% less on healthcare
Malawi spends 6.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Uganda, that number is 4.2% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 20.8% less likely to die in a road accident
In Malawi, road accidents kill 20.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Uganda, they kill 16.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 2.3 times more home broadband
Malawi has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Uganda has 0.2 as of 2024.
live with 66.7% less strain on fresh water
Malawi withdraws 18% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Uganda withdraws 6% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 22.7% less CO2
Malawi emits 0.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Uganda emits 0.2 tonnes as of 2024.
be 39.5% more likely to die from air pollution
In Malawi, air pollution causes 43.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Uganda, it causes 60.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Malawi vs. Uganda
Uganda: At a glance
How big is Uganda compared to Malawi? See an in-depth size comparison.