Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malaysia instead of Mali, you would:
Health
live 16.1 years longer
In Mali, the average life expectancy is 61 years (59 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.
see 13.9 times more spent on your healthcare
Mali spends $104 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malaysia spends $1,441 as of 2023.
have 12.5 times more doctors per person
Mali has 1.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Malaysia has 23.4 as of 2023.
have 85.4% more access to essential health services
Mali scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Malaysia scores 76 as of 2021.
be 75.5% more likely to be obese
In Mali, 13.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 23.3% of people as of 2024.
be 35.8% more likely to die by suicide
Mali has a suicide rate of 4.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malaysia, it is 5.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 88.8% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Mali, 45.5% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Malaysia, however, that number is 5.1% as of 2023.
make 11.0 times more money
Mali has a GDP per capita of $1,193 as of 2025, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $13,125 as of 2025.
be 32.9% more likely to be unemployed
In Mali, 2.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malaysia, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.
Life
be 92.9% less likely to die during childbirth
In Mali, approximately 367.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malaysia, 26.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.7 times more likely to be literate
In Mali, the literacy rate is 35.6% as of 2024. In Malaysia, it is 95.8% as of 2022.
be 85.3% less likely to die during infancy
In Mali, approximately 47.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Malaysia, on the other hand, 7.0 children do as of 2024.
have 68.7% fewer children
In Mali, there are approximately 39.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Malaysia, there are 12.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 83.5% more likely to have access to electricity
In Mali, approximately 54% of people have electricity access (92% in urban areas, and 23% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 2.7 times more likely to have internet access
In Mali, approximately 36.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malaysia, about 98.0% do as of 2024.
be 13.4% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Mali, approximately 86% of people have access to drinking water (94% in urban areas, and 80% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 98% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 95% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 16.0% less on education
Mali spends 4.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Malaysia spends 3.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Safety
be 31.2% less likely to die in a road accident
In Mali, road accidents kill 20.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malaysia, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 17.6 times more home broadband
Mali has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Malaysia has 13.6 as of 2024.
live with 57.0% less strain on fresh water
Mali withdraws 8% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malaysia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 27.7 times more CO2
Mali emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Malaysia emits 8.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Mali vs. Malaysia
Malaysia: At a glance
How big is Malaysia compared to Mali? See an in-depth size comparison.