Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Tajikistan instead of Malaysia, you would:
Health
be 57.0% less likely to die by suicide
Malaysia has a suicide rate of 5.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Tajikistan, it is 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 4.9 years less
In Malaysia, the average life expectancy is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In Tajikistan, that number is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.
see 74.7% less spent on your healthcare
Malaysia spends $1,441 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Tajikistan spends $364 as of 2023.
have 20.1% fewer doctors per person
Malaysia has 23.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Tajikistan has 18.7 as of 2023.
have 11.8% less access to essential health services
Malaysia scores 76 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Tajikistan scores 67 as of 2021.
Economy
be 84.3% more likely to be unemployed
In Malaysia, 3.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Tajikistan, that number is 6.9% as of 2025.
be 3.9 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Malaysia, 5.1% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Tajikistan, however, that number is 19.8% as of 2024.
make 87.5% less money
Malaysia has a GDP per capita of $13,125 as of 2025, while in Tajikistan, the GDP per capita is $1,637 as of 2025.
Life
be 46.2% less 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 Tajikistan, 14.0 women do as of 2023.
have 2.0 times more children
In Malaysia, there are approximately 12.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Tajikistan, there are 25.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 3.4 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 Tajikistan, on the other hand, 23.5 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 43.1% less likely to have internet access
In Malaysia, approximately 98.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Tajikistan, about 55.8% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 55.0% more on education
Malaysia spends 3.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Tajikistan spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 87.9% more on healthcare
Malaysia spends 4.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Tajikistan, that number is 7.4% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 21.9% more likely to be murdered
Malaysia has a homicide rate of 0.7 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Tajikistan, that number is 0.9 per 100,000 as of 2020.
Infrastructure
find 92.8% less home broadband
Malaysia has 13.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Tajikistan has 1.0 as of 2023.
live with 20.3 times more strain on fresh water
Malaysia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Tajikistan withdraws 70% as of 2022.
use 70.5% less electricity
Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Tajikistan uses 1,497 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 88.9% less CO2
Malaysia emits 8.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Tajikistan emits 0.9 tonnes as of 2024.
be 2.5 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Malaysia, air pollution causes 63.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Tajikistan, it causes 159.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Malaysia vs. Tajikistan
Tajikistan: At a glance
How big is Tajikistan compared to Malaysia? See an in-depth size comparison.