Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Malaysia, you would:
Health
be 57.3 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Malaysia, 0.3% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2024.
live 10.5 years less
In Malaysia, the average life expectancy is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 66 years (63 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024.
be 36.2% more likely to be obese
In Malaysia, 23.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
have 66.1% fewer doctors per person
Malaysia has 23.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
be 3.9 times more likely to die by suicide
Malaysia has a suicide rate of 5.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 8.6 times more likely to be unemployed
In Malaysia, 3.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
be 7.4 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Malaysia, 5.1% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In South Africa, however, that number is 37.9% as of 2022.
make 49.7% less money
Malaysia has a GDP per capita of $13,125 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
Life
have 49.5% more children
In Malaysia, there are approximately 12.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Africa, there are 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 4.5 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 South Africa, 118.0 women do as of 2023.
be 3.5 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 South Africa, on the other hand, 24.2 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 12.3% 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 South Africa, that number is 88% of people on average (91% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 20.1% less likely to have internet access
In Malaysia, approximately 98.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 71.5% more on education
Malaysia spends 3.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 2.2 times more on healthcare
Malaysia spends 4.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 40.1% less coastline
Malaysia has a total of 4,675 km of coastline. In South Africa, that number is 2,798 km.
Safety
be 59.9 times more likely to be murdered
Malaysia has a homicide rate of 0.7 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 43.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 59.1% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Malaysia, 90% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2021. In South Africa, that number is 37% as of 2022.
be 76.3% more likely to die in a road accident
In Malaysia, road accidents kill 13.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 60.5% less home broadband
Malaysia has 13.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
live with 19.7 times more strain on fresh water
Malaysia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
use 36.1% less electricity
Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 25.4% less likely to die from air pollution
In Malaysia, air pollution causes 63.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 17.3% less CO2
Malaysia emits 8.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Malaysia vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Malaysia? See an in-depth size comparison.