Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Lesotho instead of Malaysia, you would:
Health
be 57.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Malaysia, 0.3% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Lesotho, that number is 17.1% of people as of 2024.
live 19.0 years less
In Malaysia, the average life expectancy is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In Lesotho, that number is 58 years (55 years for men, 60 years for women) as of 2024.
see 73.2% less spent on your healthcare
Malaysia spends $1,441 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Lesotho spends $386 as of 2023.
have 90.0% fewer doctors per person
Malaysia has 23.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Lesotho has 2.4 as of 2022.
have 30.3% less access to essential health services
Malaysia scores 76 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Lesotho scores 53 as of 2021.
be 5.1 times more likely to die by suicide
Malaysia has a suicide rate of 5.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Lesotho, it is 28.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 4.3 times more likely to be unemployed
In Malaysia, 3.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Lesotho, that number is 16.3% as of 2025.
make 91.7% less money
Malaysia has a GDP per capita of $13,125 as of 2025, while in Lesotho, the GDP per capita is $1,089 as of 2025.
Life
have 92.2% more children
In Malaysia, there are approximately 12.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Lesotho, there are 23.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 18.4 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 Lesotho, 478.0 women do as of 2023.
be 8.0 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 Lesotho, on the other hand, 56.3 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 42.7% 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 Lesotho, that number is 57% of people on average (85% in urban areas, and 45% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 47.2% less likely to have internet access
In Malaysia, approximately 98.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Lesotho, about 51.8% do as of 2024.
be 20.3% 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 Lesotho, that number is 78% of people on average (95% in urban areas, and 71% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 88.6% more on education
Malaysia spends 3.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Lesotho spends 6.6% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 3.2 times more on healthcare
Malaysia spends 4.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Lesotho, that number is 12.6% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 55.4% more likely to die in a road accident
In Malaysia, road accidents kill 13.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Lesotho, they kill 21.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 25.3% less strain on fresh water
Malaysia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Lesotho withdraws 3% as of 2022.
find 97.2% less home broadband
Malaysia has 13.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Lesotho has 0.4 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 94.8% less CO2
Malaysia emits 8.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Lesotho emits 0.4 tonnes as of 2024.
be 58.7% more likely to die from air pollution
In Malaysia, air pollution causes 63.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Lesotho, it causes 100.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Malaysia vs. Lesotho
Lesotho: At a glance
How big is Lesotho compared to Malaysia? See an in-depth size comparison.