Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Gabon instead of Malaysia, you would:
Health
be 9.3 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Malaysia, 0.3% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Gabon, that number is 2.8% of people as of 2024.
live 8.3 years less
In Malaysia, the average life expectancy is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In Gabon, that number is 69 years (66 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.
see 53.3% less spent on your healthcare
Malaysia spends $1,441 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Gabon spends $673 as of 2023.
have 77.7% fewer doctors per person
Malaysia has 23.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Gabon has 5.2 as of 2022.
have 35.5% less access to essential health services
Malaysia scores 76 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Gabon scores 49 as of 2021.
be 29.2% more likely to die by suicide
Malaysia has a suicide rate of 5.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Gabon, it is 7.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 5.4 times more likely to be unemployed
In Malaysia, 3.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Gabon, that number is 20.1% as of 2025.
make 37.0% less money
Malaysia has a GDP per capita of $13,125 as of 2025, while in Gabon, the GDP per capita is $8,263 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.2 times more children
In Malaysia, there are approximately 12.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Gabon, there are 27.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 9.0 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 Gabon, 233.0 women do as of 2023.
be 3.7 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 Gabon, on the other hand, 25.9 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 29.9% less likely to have internet access
In Malaysia, approximately 98.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Gabon, about 68.7% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 33.9% less on education
Malaysia spends 3.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Gabon spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 21.0% less on healthcare
Malaysia spends 4.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Gabon, that number is 3.1% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 81.1% less coastline
Malaysia has a total of 4,675 km of coastline. In Gabon, that number is 885 km.
Safety
be 10.1% less likely to die in a road accident
In Malaysia, road accidents kill 13.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Gabon, they kill 12.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 85.5% less strain on fresh water
Malaysia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Gabon withdraws 0% as of 2022.
find 65.4% less home broadband
Malaysia has 13.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Gabon has 4.7 as of 2024.
use 79.9% less electricity
Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Gabon uses 1,023 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 15.9% less likely to die from air pollution
In Malaysia, air pollution causes 63.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Gabon, it causes 53.0 as of 2019.
emit 75.4% less CO2
Malaysia emits 8.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Gabon emits 2.0 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Malaysia vs. Gabon
Gabon: At a glance
How big is Gabon compared to Malaysia? See an in-depth size comparison.