Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Malawi instead of Namibia, you would:

Health

be 30.2% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Namibia, 11.6% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Malawi, that number is 8.1% of people as of 2020.

live 6.0 years longer

In Namibia, the average life expectancy is 66 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2022. In Malawi, that number is 72 years (69 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022.

be 66.3% less likely to be obese

In Namibia, 17.2% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Malawi, that number is 5.8% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 40.0% less likely to be unemployed

In Namibia, 34.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2016. In Malawi, that number is 20.4% as of 2013.

pay a 18.9% lower top tax rate

Namibia has a top tax rate of 37.0% as of 2016. In Malawi, the top tax rate is 30.0% as of 2016.

make 83.1% less money

Namibia has a GDP per capita of $8,900 as of 2020, while in Malawi, the GDP per capita is $1,500 as of 2020.

be 3.0 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Namibia, 17.4% live below the poverty line as of 2015. In Malawi, however, that number is 51.5% as of 2016.

Life

have 11.7% more children

In Namibia, there are approximately 25.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Malawi, there are 27.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.

be 79.0% more likely to die during childbirth

In Namibia, approximately 195.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Malawi, 349.0 women do as of 2017.

be 32.1% less likely to be literate

In Namibia, the literacy rate is 91.5% as of 2018. In Malawi, it is 62.1% as of 2015.

be 13.6% more likely to die during infancy

In Namibia, approximately 29.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Malawi, on the other hand, 33.4 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 77.2% less likely to have access to electricity

In Namibia, approximately 57% of people have electricity access (78% in urban areas, and 36% in rural areas) as of 2019. In Malawi, that number is 13% of people on average (55% in urban areas, and 5% in rural areas) as of 2019.

be 65.9% less likely to have internet access

In Namibia, approximately 41.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In Malawi, about 14.0% do as of 2019.

Expenditures

spend 69.1% less on education

Namibia spends 9.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Malawi spends 2.9% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 12.9% less on healthcare

Namibia spends 8.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Malawi, that number is 7.4% of GDP as of 2019.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Malawi Revenue Authority, The World Factbook, Inland Revenue Department.

Malawi: At a glance

Malawi is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 94,080 sq km. Established in 1891, the British protectorate of Nyasaland became the independent nation of Malawi in 1964. After three decades of one-party rule under President Hastings Kamuzu BANDA the country held multiparty elections in 1994, under a provisional constitution that came into full effect the following year. President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA, elected in May 2004 after a failed attempt by the previous president to amend the constitution to permit another term, struggled to assert his authority against his predecessor and subsequently started his own party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in 2005. MUTHARIKA was reelected to a second term in May 2009. He oversaw some economic improvement in his first term, but was accused of economic mismanagement and poor governance in his second term. He died abruptly in April 2012 and was succeeded by his vice president, Joyce BANDA, who had earlier started her own party, the People's Party (PP). Population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, corruption, and the scourge of HIV/AIDS pose major problems for Malawi.
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How big is Malawi compared to Namibia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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