Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malawi instead of Senegal, you would:
Health
be 31.0% less likely to be obese
In Senegal, 11.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 8.0% of people as of 2024.
be 20.7 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Senegal, 0.3% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 6.2% of people as of 2024.
live 1.4 years less
In Senegal, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.
see 39.0% less spent on your healthcare
Senegal spends $206 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malawi spends $125 as of 2023.
have 50.5% fewer doctors per person
Senegal has 1.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Malawi has 0.5 as of 2022.
be 12.0% more likely to die by suicide
Senegal has a suicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malawi, it is 7.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 85.7% more likely to be unemployed
In Senegal, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malawi, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
be 26.1% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Senegal, 37.5% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Malawi, however, that number is 47.3% as of 2024.
make 65.6% less money
Senegal has a GDP per capita of $1,955 as of 2025, while in Malawi, the GDP per capita is $672 as of 2025.
Life
be 33.6% more likely to be literate
In Senegal, the literacy rate is 50.4% as of 2023. In Malawi, it is 67.3% as of 2021.
be 31.5% more likely to die during infancy
In Senegal, approximately 28.9 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 79.0% less likely to have access to electricity
In Senegal, approximately 74% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 56% 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 68.5% less likely to have internet access
In Senegal, approximately 60.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malawi, about 19.0% do as of 2024.
be 17.0% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Senegal, approximately 88% of people have access to drinking water (95% in urban areas, and 81% 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.
Expenditures
spend 55.4% less on education
Senegal spends 6.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Malawi spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 51.2% more on healthcare
Senegal spends 4.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Malawi, that number is 6.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 6.7 times more likely to be murdered
Senegal has a homicide rate of 0.3 per 100,000 people as of 2015. In Malawi, that number is 1.8 per 100,000 as of 2012.
Infrastructure
find 97.8% less home broadband
Senegal has 4.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malawi has 0.1 as of 2024.
Environment
be 33.8% less likely to die from air pollution
In Senegal, air pollution causes 65.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Malawi, it causes 43.0 as of 2019.
emit 71.4% less CO2
Senegal emits 0.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Malawi emits 0.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2012–2019), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Senegal vs. Malawi
Malawi: At a glance
How big is Malawi compared to Senegal? See an in-depth size comparison.