Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malawi instead of Rwanda, you would:
Health
be 12.8% less likely to die by suicide
Rwanda has a suicide rate of 8.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malawi, it is 7.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 3.1 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Rwanda, 2.0% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 6.2% of people as of 2024.
be 43.4% more likely to be obese
In Rwanda, 5.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 8.0% of people as of 2024.
see 29.2% less spent on your healthcare
Rwanda spends $177 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malawi spends $125 as of 2023.
have 40.0% fewer doctors per person
Rwanda has 0.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Malawi has 0.5 as of 2022.
Economy
be 55.4% less likely to be unemployed
In Rwanda, 11.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malawi, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
be 72.6% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Rwanda, 27.4% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Malawi, however, that number is 47.3% as of 2024.
make 40.2% less money
Rwanda has a GDP per capita of $1,124 as of 2025, while in Malawi, the GDP per capita is $672 as of 2025.
Life
have 11.0% more children
In Rwanda, there are approximately 28.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Malawi, there are 31.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 14.6% less likely to be literate
In Rwanda, the literacy rate is 78.8% as of 2022. In Malawi, it is 67.3% as of 2021.
be 29.3% more likely to die during infancy
In Rwanda, approximately 29.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Malawi, on the other hand, 38.0 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 19.0% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Rwanda, approximately 61% of people have access to drinking water (88% in urban areas, and 56% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 73% of people on average (86% in urban areas, and 70% in rural areas) as of 2024.
be 75.6% less likely to have access to electricity
In Rwanda, approximately 64% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 58% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Malawi, that number is 16% of people on average (58% in urban areas, and 6% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 40.2% less likely to have internet access
In Rwanda, approximately 31.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malawi, about 19.0% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 40.3% less on education
Rwanda spends 4.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Malawi spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 27.3% more on healthcare
Rwanda spends 5.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Malawi, that number is 6.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 74.1% more likely to die in a road accident
In Rwanda, road accidents kill 11.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malawi, they kill 20.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 13.4% less strain on fresh water
Rwanda withdraws 20% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malawi withdraws 18% as of 2022.
find 85.0% less home broadband
Rwanda has 0.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malawi has 0.1 as of 2024.
Environment
be 30.6% less likely to die from air pollution
In Rwanda, air pollution causes 62.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Malawi, it causes 43.0 as of 2019.
emit 37.5% more CO2
Rwanda emits 0.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Malawi emits 0.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Rwanda vs. Malawi
Malawi: At a glance
How big is Malawi compared to Rwanda? See an in-depth size comparison.