Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malaysia instead of Paraguay, you would:
Health
live 2.8 years longer
In Paraguay, the average life expectancy is 74 years (71 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.
be 32.7% less likely to be obese
In Paraguay, 34.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 23.3% of people as of 2024.
be 11.2% less likely to die by suicide
Paraguay has a suicide rate of 6.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malaysia, it is 5.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
have 39.9% fewer doctors per person
Paraguay has 38.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Malaysia has 23.4 as of 2023.
Economy
be 21.7% less likely to be unemployed
In Paraguay, 4.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malaysia, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.
be 68.1% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Paraguay, 16.0% live below the poverty line as of 2025. In Malaysia, however, that number is 5.1% as of 2023.
make 86.8% more money
Paraguay has a GDP per capita of $7,027 as of 2025, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $13,125 as of 2025.
Life
be 55.2% less likely to die during childbirth
In Paraguay, approximately 58.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malaysia, 26.0 women do as of 2023.
be 51.7% less likely to die during infancy
In Paraguay, approximately 14.5 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 37.4% fewer children
In Paraguay, there are approximately 19.7 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 20.2% more likely to have internet access
In Paraguay, approximately 81.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malaysia, about 98.0% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 52.6% less on healthcare
Paraguay spends 8.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 4.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 89.2% less likely to be murdered
Paraguay has a homicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 2.1 times more likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Paraguay, 43% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2019. In Malaysia, that number is 90% as of 2021.
be 33.8% less likely to die in a road accident
In Paraguay, road accidents kill 21.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malaysia, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
use 2.1 times more electricity
Paraguay uses 2,389 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh as of 2023.
live with 87.0% more strain on fresh water
Paraguay withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malaysia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
Environment
be 2.5 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Paraguay, air pollution causes 25.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Malaysia, it causes 63.0 as of 2019.
emit 7.2 times more CO2
Paraguay emits 1.2 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: Paraguay vs. Malaysia
Malaysia: At a glance
How big is Malaysia compared to Paraguay? See an in-depth size comparison.