Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Central African Republic instead of Malaysia, you would:
Health
be 53.2% less likely to be obese
In Malaysia, 23.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Central African Republic, that number is 10.9% of people as of 2024.
be 8.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Malaysia, 0.3% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Central African Republic, that number is 2.4% of people as of 2024.
live 19.1 years less
In Malaysia, the average life expectancy is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In Central African Republic, that number is 58 years (56 years for men, 60 years for women) as of 2024.
see 90.5% less spent on your healthcare
Malaysia spends $1,441 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Central African Republic spends $137 as of 2023.
have 96.8% fewer doctors per person
Malaysia has 23.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Central African Republic has 0.7 as of 2023.
have 57.9% less access to essential health services
Malaysia scores 76 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Central African Republic scores 32 as of 2021.
be 62.7% more likely to die by suicide
Malaysia has a suicide rate of 5.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Central African Republic, it is 9.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 66.2% more likely to be unemployed
In Malaysia, 3.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Central African Republic, that number is 6.2% as of 2025.
be 13.5 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Malaysia, 5.1% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Central African Republic, however, that number is 68.8% as of 2021.
make 95.8% less money
Malaysia has a GDP per capita of $13,125 as of 2025, while in Central African Republic, the GDP per capita is $556 as of 2025.
Life
have 3.7 times more children
In Malaysia, there are approximately 12.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Central African Republic, there are 46.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 26.6 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Malaysia, approximately 26.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Central African Republic, 692.0 women do as of 2023.
be 60.8% less likely to be literate
In Malaysia, the literacy rate is 95.8% as of 2022. In Central African Republic, it is 37.5% as of 2020.
be 8.4 times more likely to die during infancy
In Malaysia, approximately 7.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Central African Republic, on the other hand, 58.8 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 82.4% less likely to have access to electricity
In Malaysia, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Central African Republic, that number is 18% of people on average (37% in urban areas, and 2% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 85.9% less likely to have internet access
In Malaysia, approximately 98.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Central African Republic, about 13.8% do as of 2024.
be 62.7% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Malaysia, approximately 98% of people have access to drinking water (99% in urban areas, and 95% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Central African Republic, that number is 36% of people on average (48% in urban areas, and 27% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 47.9% less on education
Malaysia spends 3.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Central African Republic spends 1.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 2.7 times more on healthcare
Malaysia spends 4.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Central African Republic, that number is 10.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 86.3% more likely to die in a road accident
In Malaysia, road accidents kill 13.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Central African Republic, they kill 25.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 90.1% less strain on fresh water
Malaysia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Central African Republic withdraws 0% as of 2022.
find 99.9% less home broadband
Malaysia has 13.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Central African Republic has 0.0 as of 2022.
Environment
emit 99.3% less CO2
Malaysia emits 8.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Central African Republic emits 0.1 tonnes as of 2024.
be 55.6% more likely to die from air pollution
In Malaysia, air pollution causes 63.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Central African Republic, it causes 98.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2020). How we calculate this
Compare further: Malaysia vs. Central African Republic
Central African Republic: At a glance
How big is Central African Republic compared to Malaysia? See an in-depth size comparison.