Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malaysia instead of Rwanda, you would:
Health
be 85.0% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Rwanda, 2.0% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 0.3% of people as of 2024.
live 8.8 years longer
In Rwanda, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 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 8.1 times more spent on your healthcare
Rwanda spends $177 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malaysia spends $1,441 as of 2023.
have 26.0 times more doctors per person
Rwanda has 0.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Malaysia has 23.4 as of 2023.
have 55.1% more access to essential health services
Rwanda scores 49 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Malaysia scores 76 as of 2021.
be 34.9% less likely to die by suicide
Rwanda has a suicide rate of 8.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malaysia, it is 5.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 4.2 times more likely to be obese
In Rwanda, 5.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 23.3% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 66.9% less likely to be unemployed
In Rwanda, 11.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malaysia, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.
be 81.4% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Rwanda, 27.4% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Malaysia, however, that number is 5.1% as of 2023.
make 11.7 times more money
Rwanda has a GDP per capita of $1,124 as of 2025, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $13,125 as of 2025.
Life
be 88.6% less likely to die during childbirth
In Rwanda, approximately 229.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malaysia, 26.0 women do as of 2023.
be 21.6% more likely to be literate
In Rwanda, the literacy rate is 78.8% as of 2022. In Malaysia, it is 95.8% as of 2022.
be 76.2% less 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 Malaysia, on the other hand, 7.0 children do as of 2024.
have 56.0% fewer children
In Rwanda, there are approximately 28.1 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 56.5% more 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 Malaysia, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 3.1 times more likely to have internet access
In Rwanda, approximately 31.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malaysia, about 98.0% do as of 2024.
be 59.5% 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 Malaysia, that number is 98% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 95% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 23.9% less on education
Rwanda spends 4.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Malaysia spends 3.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 22.8% less on healthcare
Rwanda spends 5.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 4.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 79.8% less likely to be murdered
Rwanda has a homicide rate of 3.6 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Malaysia, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 19.8% more likely to die in a road accident
In Rwanda, road accidents kill 11.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malaysia, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 22.6 times more home broadband
Rwanda has 0.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malaysia has 13.6 as of 2024.
live with 83.0% less strain on fresh water
Rwanda withdraws 20% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malaysia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 66.3 times more electricity
Rwanda uses 77 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 52.0 times more CO2
Rwanda emits 0.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Malaysia emits 8.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Rwanda vs. Malaysia
Malaysia: At a glance
How big is Malaysia compared to Rwanda? See an in-depth size comparison.