Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Paraguay instead of Malaysia, you would:
Health
have 66.3% more doctors per person
Malaysia has 23.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Paraguay has 38.9 as of 2022.
live 2.8 years less
In Malaysia, the average life expectancy is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In Paraguay, that number is 74 years (71 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024.
be 48.6% more likely to be obese
In Malaysia, 23.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Paraguay, that number is 34.7% of people as of 2024.
be 12.6% more likely to die by suicide
Malaysia has a suicide rate of 5.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Paraguay, it is 6.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 27.7% more likely to be unemployed
In Malaysia, 3.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Paraguay, that number is 4.8% as of 2025.
be 3.1 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Malaysia, 5.1% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Paraguay, however, that number is 16.0% as of 2025.
make 46.5% less money
Malaysia has a GDP per capita of $13,125 as of 2025, while in Paraguay, the GDP per capita is $7,027 as of 2025.
Life
have 59.6% more children
In Malaysia, there are approximately 12.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Paraguay, there are 19.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.2 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 Paraguay, 58.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.1 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 Paraguay, on the other hand, 14.5 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 16.8% less likely to have internet access
In Malaysia, approximately 98.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Paraguay, about 81.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.1 times more on healthcare
Malaysia spends 4.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Paraguay, that number is 8.4% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 9.3 times more likely to be murdered
Malaysia has a homicide rate of 0.7 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Paraguay, that number is 6.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 52.4% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Malaysia, 90% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2021. In Paraguay, that number is 43% as of 2019.
be 51.1% more likely to die in a road accident
In Malaysia, road accidents kill 13.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Paraguay, they kill 21.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 46.5% less strain on fresh water
Malaysia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Paraguay withdraws 2% as of 2022.
use 53.0% less electricity
Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Paraguay uses 2,389 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 60.3% less likely to die from air pollution
In Malaysia, air pollution causes 63.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Paraguay, it causes 25.0 as of 2019.
emit 86.1% less CO2
Malaysia emits 8.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Paraguay emits 1.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Malaysia vs. Paraguay
Paraguay: At a glance
How big is Paraguay compared to Malaysia? See an in-depth size comparison.