Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United States instead of Malaysia, you would:
Health
live 2.1 years longer
In Malaysia, the average life expectancy is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In United States, that number is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
see 9.3 times more spent on your healthcare
Malaysia spends $1,441 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United States spends $13,473 as of 2023.
have 57.2% more doctors per person
Malaysia has 23.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. United States has 36.8 as of 2022.
have 13.2% more access to essential health services
Malaysia scores 76 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. United States scores 86 as of 2021.
be 75.6% more likely to be obese
In Malaysia, 23.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United States, that number is 41.0% of people as of 2024.
be 2.8 times more likely to die by suicide
Malaysia has a suicide rate of 5.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United States, it is 15.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 6.9 times more money
Malaysia has a GDP per capita of $13,125 as of 2025, while in United States, the GDP per capita is $90,027 as of 2025.
be 11.7% more likely to be unemployed
In Malaysia, 3.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United States, that number is 4.2% as of 2025.
Life
be 34.6% 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 United States, 17.0 women do as of 2023.
be 21.4% less 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 United States, on the other hand, 5.5 children do as of 2024.
have 14.2% fewer children
In Malaysia, there are approximately 12.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United States, there are 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 54.4% more on education
Malaysia spends 3.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. United States spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 4.2 times more on healthcare
Malaysia spends 4.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In United States, that number is 16.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 4.3 times more coastline
Malaysia has a total of 4,675 km of coastline. In United States, that number is 19,924 km.
Safety
be 7.9 times more likely to be murdered
Malaysia has a homicide rate of 0.7 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In United States, that number is 5.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 30.4% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Malaysia, 90% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2021. In United States, that number is 63% as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 2.9 times more home broadband
Malaysia has 13.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. United States has 38.9 as of 2024.
use 2.5 times more electricity
Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. United States uses 12,839 kWh as of 2024.
live with 8.2 times more strain on fresh water
Malaysia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United States withdraws 28% as of 2022.
Environment
be 77.8% less likely to die from air pollution
In Malaysia, air pollution causes 63.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United States, it causes 14.0 as of 2019.
emit 63.7% more CO2
Malaysia emits 8.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United States emits 13.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Malaysia vs. United States
United States: At a glance
How big is United States compared to Malaysia? See an in-depth size comparison.