Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Mauritania instead of Malaysia, you would:
Health
be 52.0% less likely to die by suicide
Malaysia has a suicide rate of 5.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Mauritania, it is 2.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 8.1 years less
In Malaysia, the average life expectancy is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In Mauritania, that number is 69 years (67 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.
see 79.1% less spent on your healthcare
Malaysia spends $1,441 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Mauritania spends $302 as of 2023.
have 88.9% fewer doctors per person
Malaysia has 23.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Mauritania has 2.6 as of 2022.
have 47.4% less access to essential health services
Malaysia scores 76 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Mauritania scores 40 as of 2021.
Economy
be 2.7 times more likely to be unemployed
In Malaysia, 3.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Mauritania, that number is 10.3% as of 2025.
make 83.3% less money
Malaysia has a GDP per capita of $13,125 as of 2025, while in Mauritania, the GDP per capita is $2,198 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.8 times more children
In Malaysia, there are approximately 12.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Mauritania, there are 34.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 14.7 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 Mauritania, 381.0 women do as of 2023.
be 30.0% less likely to be literate
In Malaysia, the literacy rate is 95.8% as of 2022. In Mauritania, it is 67.0% as of 2021.
be 4.3 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 Mauritania, on the other hand, 30.2 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 49.7% 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 Mauritania, that number is 50% of people on average (94% in urban areas, and 1% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 53.3% less likely to have internet access
In Malaysia, approximately 98.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Mauritania, about 45.8% do as of 2024.
be 21.1% 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 Mauritania, that number is 77% of people on average (90% in urban areas, and 59% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.2 times more on education
Malaysia spends 3.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Mauritania spends 7.6% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
Geography
see 83.9% less coastline
Malaysia has a total of 4,675 km of coastline. In Mauritania, that number is 754 km.
Safety
be 31.7% less likely to die in a road accident
In Malaysia, road accidents kill 13.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Mauritania, they kill 9.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 37.0% more likely to be murdered
Malaysia has a homicide rate of 0.7 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Mauritania, that number is 1.0 per 100,000 as of 2020.
Infrastructure
find 93.0% less home broadband
Malaysia has 13.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Mauritania has 0.9 as of 2024.
live with 3.9 times more strain on fresh water
Malaysia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Mauritania withdraws 13% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 88.3% less CO2
Malaysia emits 8.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Mauritania emits 1.0 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Malaysia vs. Mauritania
Mauritania: At a glance
How big is Mauritania compared to Malaysia? See an in-depth size comparison.