Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Gambia instead of Malaysia, you would:
Health
be 46.9% less likely to be obese
In Malaysia, 23.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Gambia, that number is 12.4% of people as of 2024.
be 14.9% less likely to die by suicide
Malaysia has a suicide rate of 5.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Gambia, it is 4.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 4.3 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Malaysia, 0.3% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Gambia, that number is 1.3% of people as of 2024.
live 10.8 years less
In Malaysia, the average life expectancy is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In Gambia, that number is 66 years (64 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024.
see 93.5% less spent on your healthcare
Malaysia spends $1,441 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Gambia spends $94 as of 2023.
have 96.2% fewer doctors per person
Malaysia has 23.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Gambia has 0.9 as of 2023.
have 39.5% less access to essential health services
Malaysia scores 76 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Gambia scores 46 as of 2021.
Economy
be 73.4% more likely to be unemployed
In Malaysia, 3.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Gambia, that number is 6.5% as of 2025.
be 10.5 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Malaysia, 5.1% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Gambia, however, that number is 53.4% as of 2020.
make 93.0% less money
Malaysia has a GDP per capita of $13,125 as of 2025, while in Gambia, the GDP per capita is $919 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.4 times more children
In Malaysia, there are approximately 12.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Gambia, there are 29.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 13.6 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 Gambia, 354.0 women do as of 2023.
be 46.1% less likely to be literate
In Malaysia, the literacy rate is 95.8% as of 2022. In Gambia, it is 51.6% as of 2021.
be 4.7 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 Gambia, on the other hand, 32.7 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 33.1% 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 Gambia, that number is 67% of people on average (85% in urban areas, and 35% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 49.5% less likely to have internet access
In Malaysia, approximately 98.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Gambia, about 49.5% do as of 2024.
be 11.1% 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 Gambia, that number is 87% of people on average (92% in urban areas, and 78% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 19.9% less on education
Malaysia spends 3.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Gambia spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 27.0% less on healthcare
Malaysia spends 4.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Gambia, that number is 2.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 98.3% less coastline
Malaysia has a total of 4,675 km of coastline. In Gambia, that number is 80 km.
Safety
be 35.2% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Malaysia, 90% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2021. In Gambia, that number is 59% as of 2020.
be 58.3% more likely to die in a road accident
In Malaysia, road accidents kill 13.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Gambia, they kill 22.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 35.8% less strain on fresh water
Malaysia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Gambia withdraws 2% as of 2022.
find 96.2% less home broadband
Malaysia has 13.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Gambia has 0.5 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 97.8% less CO2
Malaysia emits 8.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Gambia emits 0.2 tonnes as of 2024.
be 42.9% more likely to die from air pollution
In Malaysia, air pollution causes 63.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Gambia, it causes 90.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Malaysia vs. Gambia
Gambia: At a glance
How big is Gambia compared to Malaysia? See an in-depth size comparison.