Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malaysia instead of Portugal, you would:
Health
be 51.0% less likely to die by suicide
Portugal has a suicide rate of 11.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malaysia, it is 5.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 5.6 years less
In Portugal, the average life expectancy is 82 years (80 years for men, 85 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 29.1% more likely to be obese
In Portugal, 18.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 23.3% of people as of 2024.
see 70.8% less spent on your healthcare
Portugal spends $4,928 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malaysia spends $1,441 as of 2023.
have 60.0% fewer doctors per person
Portugal has 58.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Malaysia has 23.4 as of 2023.
have 13.6% less access to essential health services
Portugal scores 88 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Malaysia scores 76 as of 2021.
Economy
be 39.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Portugal, 6.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malaysia, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.
be 68.9% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Portugal, 16.4% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Malaysia, however, that number is 5.1% as of 2023.
make 59.1% less money
Portugal has a GDP per capita of $32,082 as of 2025, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $13,125 as of 2025.
Life
have 56.5% more children
In Portugal, there are approximately 7.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Malaysia, there are 12.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 73.3% more likely to die during childbirth
In Portugal, approximately 15.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malaysia, 26.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.6 times more likely to die during infancy
In Portugal, approximately 2.7 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 10.8% more likely to have internet access
In Portugal, approximately 88.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malaysia, about 98.0% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 22.9% less on education
Portugal spends 4.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Malaysia spends 3.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 61.3% less on healthcare
Portugal spends 10.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 4.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 2.6 times more coastline
Portugal has a total of 1,793 km of coastline. In Malaysia, that number is 4,675 km.
Safety
be 93.1% more likely to die in a road accident
In Portugal, road accidents kill 7.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malaysia, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 72.1% less strain on fresh water
Portugal withdraws 12% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malaysia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
find 70.0% less home broadband
Portugal has 45.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malaysia has 13.6 as of 2024.
Environment
be 6.3 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Portugal, air pollution causes 10.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Malaysia, it causes 63.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.5 times more CO2
Portugal emits 3.3 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), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Portugal vs. Malaysia
Malaysia: At a glance
How big is Malaysia compared to Portugal? See an in-depth size comparison.