Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Ethiopia instead of Malaysia, you would:
Health
be 87.5% less likely to be obese
In Malaysia, 23.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Ethiopia, that number is 2.9% of people as of 2024.
live 9.2 years less
In Malaysia, the average life expectancy is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In Ethiopia, that number is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.
see 94.1% less spent on your healthcare
Malaysia spends $1,441 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Ethiopia spends $86 as of 2023.
have 93.9% fewer doctors per person
Malaysia has 23.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Ethiopia has 1.4 as of 2023.
have 53.9% less access to essential health services
Malaysia scores 76 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Ethiopia scores 35 as of 2021.
Economy
be 11.7% less likely to be unemployed
In Malaysia, 3.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Ethiopia, that number is 3.3% as of 2025.
be 6.5 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Malaysia, 5.1% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Ethiopia, however, that number is 33.1% as of 2021.
make 92.9% less money
Malaysia has a GDP per capita of $13,125 as of 2025, while in Ethiopia, the GDP per capita is $933 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.5 times more children
In Malaysia, there are approximately 12.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Ethiopia, there are 31.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 7.5 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 Ethiopia, 195.0 women do as of 2023.
be 36.9% less likely to be literate
In Malaysia, the literacy rate is 95.8% as of 2022. In Ethiopia, it is 60.5% as of 2022.
be 4.9 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 Ethiopia, on the other hand, 34.5 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 44.6% 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 Ethiopia, that number is 55% of people on average (95% in urban areas, and 44% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 77.6% less likely to have internet access
In Malaysia, approximately 98.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Ethiopia, about 21.9% do as of 2024.
be 43.2% 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 Ethiopia, that number is 56% of people on average (83% in urban areas, and 47% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 34.5% less on education
Malaysia spends 3.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Ethiopia spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 29.3% less on healthcare
Malaysia spends 4.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Ethiopia, that number is 2.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 27.3% more likely to die in a road accident
In Malaysia, road accidents kill 13.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Ethiopia, they kill 17.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 95.6% less home broadband
Malaysia has 13.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Ethiopia has 0.6 as of 2024.
live with 9.4 times more strain on fresh water
Malaysia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Ethiopia withdraws 32% as of 2022.
use 97.8% less electricity
Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Ethiopia uses 113 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 27.0% less likely to die from air pollution
In Malaysia, air pollution causes 63.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Ethiopia, it causes 46.0 as of 2019.
emit 98.2% less CO2
Malaysia emits 8.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Ethiopia emits 0.1 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Malaysia vs. Ethiopia
Ethiopia: At a glance
How big is Ethiopia compared to Malaysia? See an in-depth size comparison.