Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Colombia instead of Malaysia, you would:
Health
live 1.1 years longer
In Malaysia, the average life expectancy is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In Colombia, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
see 22.0% more spent on your healthcare
Malaysia spends $1,441 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Colombia spends $1,758 as of 2024.
be 12.2% less likely to die by suicide
Malaysia has a suicide rate of 5.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Colombia, it is 5.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 2.2 times more likely to be unemployed
In Malaysia, 3.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Colombia, that number is 8.3% as of 2025.
be 6.2 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Malaysia, 5.1% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Colombia, however, that number is 31.8% as of 2024.
make 34.8% less money
Malaysia has a GDP per capita of $13,125 as of 2025, while in Colombia, the GDP per capita is $8,562 as of 2025.
Life
be 2.3 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 Colombia, 59.0 women do as of 2023.
be 50.0% 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 Colombia, on the other hand, 10.5 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 19.0% less likely to have internet access
In Malaysia, approximately 98.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Colombia, about 79.3% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 49.9% more on education
Malaysia spends 3.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Colombia spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
spend 2.1 times more on healthcare
Malaysia spends 4.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Colombia, that number is 8.1% of GDP as of 2024.
Geography
see 31.4% less coastline
Malaysia has a total of 4,675 km of coastline. In Colombia, that number is 3,208 km.
Safety
be 34.1 times more likely to be murdered
Malaysia has a homicide rate of 0.7 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Colombia, that number is 24.9 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 43.9% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Malaysia, 90% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2021. In Colombia, that number is 51% as of 2022.
be 16.5% more likely to die in a road accident
In Malaysia, road accidents kill 13.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Colombia, they kill 16.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 27.1% more home broadband
Malaysia has 13.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Colombia has 17.2 as of 2024.
use 69.5% less electricity
Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Colombia uses 1,551 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 61.9% less likely to die from air pollution
In Malaysia, air pollution causes 63.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Colombia, it causes 24.0 as of 2019.
emit 78.4% less CO2
Malaysia emits 8.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Colombia emits 1.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Malaysia vs. Colombia
Colombia: At a glance
How big is Colombia compared to Malaysia? See an in-depth size comparison.