If you lived in Colombia instead of Malta, you would:

Health

be 18.7% less likely to be obese

In Malta, 30.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Colombia, that number is 24.9% of people as of 2024.

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be 23.3% less likely to die by suicide

Malta has a suicide rate of 6.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Colombia, it is 5.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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live 5.0 years less

In Malta, the average life expectancy is 83 years (81 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024. In Colombia, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 69.2% less spent on your healthcare

Malta spends $5,706 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Colombia spends $1,758 as of 2024.

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have 43.8% fewer doctors per person

Malta has 45.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Colombia has 25.4 as of 2023.

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Economy

be 2.9 times more likely to be unemployed

In Malta, 2.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Colombia, that number is 8.3% as of 2025.

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be 90.4% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Malta, 16.7% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Colombia, however, that number is 31.8% as of 2024.

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make 82.1% less money

Malta has a GDP per capita of $47,907 as of 2025, while in Colombia, the GDP per capita is $8,562 as of 2025.

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Life

have 72.1% more children

In Malta, there are approximately 7.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Colombia, there are 13.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 7.4 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Malta, approximately 8.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Colombia, 59.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 2.2 times more likely to die during infancy

In Malta, approximately 4.7 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Colombia, on the other hand, 10.5 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 15.5% less likely to have internet access

In Malta, approximately 93.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Colombia, about 79.3% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 11.7% more on education

Malta spends 4.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Colombia spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

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Geography

see 16.3 times more coastline

Malta has a total of 197 km of coastline. In Colombia, that number is 3,208 km.

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Safety

be 44.5 times more likely to be murdered

Malta has a homicide rate of 0.6 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Colombia, that number is 24.9 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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be 8.5 times more likely to die in a road accident

In Malta, road accidents kill 1.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Colombia, they kill 16.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 95.0% less strain on fresh water

Malta withdraws 73% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Colombia withdraws 4% as of 2022.

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find 61.3% less home broadband

Malta has 44.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Colombia has 17.2 as of 2024.

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use 69.1% less electricity

Malta uses 5,013 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Colombia uses 1,551 kWh as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 43.4% less CO2

Malta emits 3.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Colombia emits 1.8 tonnes as of 2024.

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be 14.3% more likely to die from air pollution

In Malta, air pollution causes 21.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Colombia, it causes 24.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Colombia: At a glance

Colombia is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 1,038,700 sq km. Colombia was one of the three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others are Ecuador and Venezuela). A nearly five-decade long conflict between government forces and anti-government insurgent groups, principally the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) heavily funded by the drug trade, escalated during the 1990s. More than 31,000 former paramilitaries had demobilized by the end of 2006 and the United Self Defense Forces of Colombia as a formal organization had ceased to function. In the wake of the paramilitary demobilization, emerging criminal groups arose, whose members include some former paramilitaries. The insurgents lack the military or popular support necessary to overthrow the government, but continue attacks against civilians. Large areas of the countryside are under guerrilla influence or are contested by security forces. In November 2012, the Colombian Government started formal peace negotiations with the FARC aimed at reaching a definitive bilateral ceasefire and incorporating demobilized FARC members into mainstream society and politics. The Colombian Government has stepped up efforts to reassert government control throughout the country, and now has a presence in every one of its administrative departments. Despite decades of internal conflict and drug related security challenges, Colombia maintains relatively strong democratic institutions characterized by peaceful, transparent elections and the protection of civil liberties.
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