Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malaysia instead of Moldova, you would:
Health
live 5.5 years longer
In Moldova, the average life expectancy is 71 years (67 years for men, 76 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 22.0% more spent on your healthcare
Moldova spends $1,181 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malaysia spends $1,441 as of 2023.
be 60.0% less likely to die by suicide
Moldova has a suicide rate of 14.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malaysia, it is 5.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
have 41.7% fewer doctors per person
Moldova has 40.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Malaysia has 23.4 as of 2023.
Economy
be 84.8% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Moldova, 33.6% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Malaysia, however, that number is 5.1% as of 2023.
make 52.2% more money
Moldova has a GDP per capita of $8,622 as of 2025, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $13,125 as of 2025.
be 2.5 times more likely to be unemployed
In Moldova, 1.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malaysia, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.
Life
be 53.6% less likely to die during infancy
In Moldova, approximately 15.1 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 16.7% more children
In Moldova, there are approximately 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Malaysia, there are 12.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 36.8% more likely to die during childbirth
In Moldova, approximately 19.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malaysia, 26.0 women do as of 2023.
Basic Needs
be 26.7% more likely to have internet access
In Moldova, approximately 77.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malaysia, about 98.0% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 46.5% less on education
Moldova spends 6.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Malaysia spends 3.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 41.2% less on healthcare
Moldova spends 6.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 4.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 71.3% less likely to be murdered
Moldova has a homicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 52.7% more likely to die in a road accident
In Moldova, road accidents kill 9.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malaysia, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 72.6% less strain on fresh water
Moldova withdraws 13% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malaysia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 2.1 times more electricity
Moldova uses 2,412 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh as of 2023.
find 54.3% less home broadband
Moldova has 29.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malaysia has 13.6 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 2.4 times more CO2
Moldova emits 3.4 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). How we calculate this
Compare further: Moldova vs. Malaysia
Malaysia: At a glance
How big is Malaysia compared to Moldova? See an in-depth size comparison.