Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malaysia instead of Pakistan, you would:
Health
live 9.0 years longer
In Pakistan, the average life expectancy is 68 years (65 years for men, 70 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 9.5 times more spent on your healthcare
Pakistan spends $152 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malaysia spends $1,441 as of 2023.
have 2.0 times more doctors per person
Pakistan has 11.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Malaysia has 23.4 as of 2023.
have 68.9% more access to essential health services
Pakistan scores 45 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Malaysia scores 76 as of 2021.
Economy
be 30.6% less likely to be unemployed
In Pakistan, 5.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malaysia, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.
be 82.4% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Pakistan, 28.9% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Malaysia, however, that number is 5.1% as of 2023.
make 8.2 times more money
Pakistan has a GDP per capita of $1,596 as of 2025, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $13,125 as of 2025.
Life
be 83.2% less likely to die during childbirth
In Pakistan, approximately 155.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malaysia, 26.0 women do as of 2023.
be 62.7% more likely to be literate
In Pakistan, the literacy rate is 58.9% as of 2021. In Malaysia, it is 95.8% as of 2022.
be 85.5% less likely to die during infancy
In Pakistan, approximately 48.2 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 54.9% fewer children
In Pakistan, there are approximately 27.4 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 71.2% more likely to have internet access
In Pakistan, approximately 57.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malaysia, about 98.0% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 80.0% more on education
Pakistan spends 1.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Malaysia spends 3.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 57.1% more on healthcare
Pakistan spends 2.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 4.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 4.5 times more coastline
Pakistan has a total of 1,046 km of coastline. In Malaysia, that number is 4,675 km.
Safety
be 83.1% less likely to be murdered
Pakistan has a homicide rate of 4.3 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 16.8% more likely to die in a road accident
In Pakistan, road accidents kill 11.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malaysia, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 9.2 times more home broadband
Pakistan has 1.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malaysia has 13.6 as of 2024.
live with 96.9% less strain on fresh water
Pakistan withdraws 110% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malaysia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 9.8 times more electricity
Pakistan uses 518 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 40.0% less likely to die from air pollution
In Pakistan, air pollution causes 105.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Malaysia, it causes 63.0 as of 2019.
emit 10.3 times more CO2
Pakistan emits 0.8 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), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Pakistan vs. Malaysia
Malaysia: At a glance
How big is Malaysia compared to Pakistan? See an in-depth size comparison.