Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malaysia instead of Niger, you would:
Health
live 15.4 years longer
In Niger, the average life expectancy is 61 years (60 years for men, 62 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 18.8 times more spent on your healthcare
Niger spends $76 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malaysia spends $1,441 as of 2023.
have 61.6 times more doctors per person
Niger has 0.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Malaysia has 23.4 as of 2023.
have 2.2 times more access to essential health services
Niger scores 35 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Malaysia scores 76 as of 2021.
be 3.4 times more likely to be obese
In Niger, 6.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 23.3% of people as of 2024.
be 26.1% more likely to die by suicide
Niger has a suicide rate of 4.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malaysia, it is 5.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 87.6% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Niger, 41.2% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Malaysia, however, that number is 5.1% as of 2023.
make 16.9 times more money
Niger has a GDP per capita of $775 as of 2025, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $13,125 as of 2025.
be 9.6 times more likely to be unemployed
In Niger, 0.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malaysia, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.
Life
be 92.6% less likely to die during childbirth
In Niger, approximately 350.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malaysia, 26.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.7 times more likely to be literate
In Niger, the literacy rate is 35.6% as of 2022. In Malaysia, it is 95.8% as of 2022.
be 89.3% less likely to die during infancy
In Niger, approximately 65.6 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 70.2% fewer children
In Niger, there are approximately 41.4 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 5.0 times more likely to have access to electricity
In Niger, approximately 20% of people have electricity access (67% in urban areas, and 10% 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 6.3 times more likely to have internet access
In Niger, approximately 15.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malaysia, about 98.0% do as of 2024.
be 83.3% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Niger, approximately 53% of people have access to drinking water (87% in urban areas, and 46% 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 13.8% less on education
Niger spends 4.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Malaysia spends 3.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Safety
be 44.2% less likely to die in a road accident
In Niger, road accidents kill 24.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malaysia, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 123.2 times more home broadband
Niger has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malaysia has 13.6 as of 2024.
live with 68.8% less strain on fresh water
Niger withdraws 11% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malaysia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 75.0 times more electricity
Niger uses 68 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 32.3% less likely to die from air pollution
In Niger, air pollution causes 93.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Malaysia, it causes 63.0 as of 2019.
emit 69.3 times more CO2
Niger emits 0.1 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 (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Niger vs. Malaysia
Malaysia: At a glance
How big is Malaysia compared to Niger? See an in-depth size comparison.