Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Turkmenistan instead of Malaysia, you would:
Health
live 6.6 years less
In Malaysia, the average life expectancy is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, that number is 70 years (67 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2024.
see 12.3% less spent on your healthcare
Malaysia spends $1,441 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Turkmenistan spends $1,264 as of 2023.
have 17.6% fewer doctors per person
Malaysia has 23.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Turkmenistan has 19.3 as of 2023.
be 20.9% more likely to die by suicide
Malaysia has a suicide rate of 5.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Turkmenistan, it is 6.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 13.6% more likely to be unemployed
In Malaysia, 3.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Turkmenistan, that number is 4.3% as of 2025.
make 50.2% less money
Malaysia has a GDP per capita of $13,125 as of 2025, while in Turkmenistan, the GDP per capita is $6,540 as of 2025.
Life
be 80.8% 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 Turkmenistan, 5.0 women do as of 2023.
have 69.2% more children
In Malaysia, there are approximately 12.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
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 Turkmenistan, on the other hand, 30.4 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 74.2% less likely to have internet access
In Malaysia, approximately 98.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, about 25.3% do as of 2022.
Expenditures
spend 22.2% more on education
Malaysia spends 3.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Turkmenistan spends 4.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 38.9% more on healthcare
Malaysia spends 4.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Turkmenistan, that number is 5.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 42.4% less likely to die in a road accident
In Malaysia, road accidents kill 13.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Turkmenistan, they kill 8.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 61.5% less home broadband
Malaysia has 13.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Turkmenistan has 5.2 as of 2022.
live with 39.3 times more strain on fresh water
Malaysia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Turkmenistan withdraws 135% as of 2022.
use 45.4% less electricity
Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Turkmenistan uses 2,778 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 38.1% more likely to die from air pollution
In Malaysia, air pollution causes 63.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Turkmenistan, it causes 87.0 as of 2019.
emit 30.5% more CO2
Malaysia emits 8.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Turkmenistan emits 10.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this
Compare further: Malaysia vs. Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan: At a glance
How big is Turkmenistan compared to Malaysia? See an in-depth size comparison.