Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Malawi instead of New York, you would:

Health

be 73.2% less likely to be obese

In New York, 29.9% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Malawi, that number is 8.0% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

be 15.2% more likely to be unemployed

In New York, 4.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malawi, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.

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be 3.6 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In New York, 13.3% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Malawi, however, that number is 47.3% as of 2024.

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make 99.3% less money

New York has a GDP per capita of $91,992 as of 2024, while in Malawi, the GDP per capita is $672 as of 2025.

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Basic Needs

be 78.9% less likely to have internet access

In New York, approximately 89.7% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In Malawi, about 19.0% do as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2024–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), World Health Organization (2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024). How we calculate this

Compare further: New York vs. Malawi

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Malawi is 72.6% cheaper than New York
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Size Comparison · See true size
New York is around the same size as Malawi.
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Moving from New York to Malawi · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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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 New York? See an in-depth size comparison.

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