Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malawi instead of Malaysia, you would:
Health
be 65.7% less likely to be obese
In Malaysia, 23.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 8.0% of people as of 2024.
be 20.7 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Malaysia, 0.3% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 6.2% of people as of 2024.
live 9.3 years less
In Malaysia, the average life expectancy is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.
see 91.3% less spent on your healthcare
Malaysia spends $1,441 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malawi spends $125 as of 2023.
have 97.7% fewer doctors per person
Malaysia has 23.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Malawi has 0.5 as of 2022.
have 36.8% less access to essential health services
Malaysia scores 76 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Malawi scores 48 as of 2021.
be 34.0% more likely to die by suicide
Malaysia has a suicide rate of 5.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malawi, it is 7.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 34.8% more likely to be unemployed
In Malaysia, 3.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malawi, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
be 9.3 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Malaysia, 5.1% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Malawi, however, that number is 47.3% as of 2024.
make 94.9% less money
Malaysia has a GDP per capita of $13,125 as of 2025, while in Malawi, the GDP per capita is $672 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 Malawi, there are 31.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 8.7 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 Malawi, 225.0 women do as of 2023.
be 29.7% less likely to be literate
In Malaysia, the literacy rate is 95.8% as of 2022. In Malawi, it is 67.3% as of 2021.
be 5.4 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 Malawi, on the other hand, 38.0 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 84.4% 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 Malawi, that number is 16% of people on average (58% in urban areas, and 6% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 80.7% less likely to have internet access
In Malaysia, approximately 98.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malawi, about 19.0% do as of 2024.
be 25.4% 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 Malawi, that number is 73% of people on average (86% in urban areas, and 70% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 21.7% less on education
Malaysia spends 3.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Malawi spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 64.9% more on healthcare
Malaysia spends 4.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Malawi, that number is 6.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 45.3% more likely to die in a road accident
In Malaysia, road accidents kill 13.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malawi, they kill 20.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 99.3% less home broadband
Malaysia has 13.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malawi has 0.1 as of 2024.
live with 5.1 times more strain on fresh water
Malaysia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malawi withdraws 18% as of 2022.
Environment
be 31.7% less likely to die from air pollution
In Malaysia, air pollution causes 63.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Malawi, it causes 43.0 as of 2019.
emit 97.4% less CO2
Malaysia emits 8.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Malawi emits 0.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Malaysia vs. Malawi
Malawi: At a glance
How big is Malawi compared to Malaysia? See an in-depth size comparison.