Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malaysia instead of Poland, you would:
Health
be 58.7% less likely to die by suicide
Poland has a suicide rate of 13.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malaysia, it is 5.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 1.6 years less
In Poland, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 82 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 63.4% less spent on your healthcare
Poland spends $3,939 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malaysia spends $1,441 as of 2023.
have 41.9% fewer doctors per person
Poland has 40.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Malaysia has 23.4 as of 2023.
Economy
be 62.2% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Poland, 13.5% live below the poverty line as of 2025. In Malaysia, however, that number is 5.1% as of 2023.
be 26.2% more likely to be unemployed
In Poland, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malaysia, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.
make 53.8% less money
Poland has a GDP per capita of $28,420 as of 2025, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $13,125 as of 2025.
Life
have 79.1% more children
In Poland, there are approximately 6.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Malaysia, there are 12.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 13.0 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Poland, approximately 2.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malaysia, 26.0 women do as of 2023.
be 94.4% more likely to die during infancy
In Poland, approximately 3.6 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.
Basic Needs
be 10.7% more likely to have internet access
In Poland, approximately 88.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malaysia, about 98.0% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 18.6% less on education
Poland spends 4.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Malaysia spends 3.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 50.9% less on healthcare
Poland spends 8.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 4.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 10.6 times more coastline
Poland has a total of 440 km of coastline. In Malaysia, that number is 4,675 km.
Safety
be 8.2 times more likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Poland, 11% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2022. In Malaysia, that number is 90% as of 2021.
be 2.1 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Poland, road accidents kill 6.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malaysia, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 89.4% less strain on fresh water
Poland withdraws 32% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malaysia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 16.3% more electricity
Poland uses 4,370 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh as of 2023.
find 46.6% less home broadband
Poland has 25.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malaysia has 13.6 as of 2024.
Environment
be 53.7% more likely to die from air pollution
In Poland, air pollution causes 41.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Malaysia, it causes 63.0 as of 2019.
emit 10.2% more CO2
Poland emits 7.5 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 (2019–2022), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Poland vs. Malaysia
Malaysia: At a glance
How big is Malaysia compared to Poland? See an in-depth size comparison.