Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malaysia instead of Mauritania, you would:
Health
live 8.1 years longer
In Mauritania, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 71 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 4.8 times more spent on your healthcare
Mauritania spends $302 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malaysia spends $1,441 as of 2023.
have 9.0 times more doctors per person
Mauritania has 2.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Malaysia has 23.4 as of 2023.
have 90.0% more access to essential health services
Mauritania scores 40 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Malaysia scores 76 as of 2021.
be 2.1 times more likely to die by suicide
Mauritania has a suicide rate of 2.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malaysia, it is 5.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 63.6% less likely to be unemployed
In Mauritania, 10.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malaysia, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.
make 6.0 times more money
Mauritania has a GDP per capita of $2,198 as of 2025, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $13,125 as of 2025.
Life
be 93.2% less likely to die during childbirth
In Mauritania, approximately 381.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malaysia, 26.0 women do as of 2023.
be 42.9% more likely to be literate
In Mauritania, the literacy rate is 67.0% as of 2021. In Malaysia, it is 95.8% as of 2022.
be 76.8% less likely to die during infancy
In Mauritania, approximately 30.2 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 63.7% fewer children
In Mauritania, there are approximately 34.0 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 98.8% more likely to have access to electricity
In Mauritania, approximately 50% of people have electricity access (94% in urban areas, and 1% 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 2.1 times more likely to have internet access
In Mauritania, approximately 45.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malaysia, about 98.0% do as of 2024.
be 26.7% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Mauritania, approximately 77% of people have access to drinking water (90% in urban areas, and 59% 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 53.9% less on education
Mauritania spends 7.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Malaysia spends 3.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Geography
see 6.2 times more coastline
Mauritania has a total of 754 km of coastline. In Malaysia, that number is 4,675 km.
Safety
be 27.0% less likely to be murdered
Mauritania has a homicide rate of 1.0 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Malaysia, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 46.3% more likely to die in a road accident
In Mauritania, road accidents kill 9.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malaysia, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 14.3 times more home broadband
Mauritania has 0.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malaysia has 13.6 as of 2024.
live with 74.0% less strain on fresh water
Mauritania withdraws 13% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malaysia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 8.6 times more CO2
Mauritania emits 1.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Malaysia emits 8.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Mauritania vs. Malaysia
Malaysia: At a glance
How big is Malaysia compared to Mauritania? See an in-depth size comparison.