Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malaysia instead of Senegal, you would:
Health
live 7.9 years longer
In Senegal, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 71 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 7.0 times more spent on your healthcare
Senegal spends $206 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malaysia spends $1,441 as of 2023.
have 21.5 times more doctors per person
Senegal has 1.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Malaysia has 23.4 as of 2023.
have 52.0% more access to essential health services
Senegal scores 50 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Malaysia scores 76 as of 2021.
be 16.4% less likely to die by suicide
Senegal has a suicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malaysia, it is 5.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 2.0 times more likely to be obese
In Senegal, 11.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 23.3% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 86.4% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Senegal, 37.5% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Malaysia, however, that number is 5.1% as of 2023.
make 6.7 times more money
Senegal has a GDP per capita of $1,955 as of 2025, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $13,125 as of 2025.
be 37.7% more likely to be unemployed
In Senegal, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malaysia, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.
Life
be 89.0% less likely to die during childbirth
In Senegal, approximately 237.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malaysia, 26.0 women do as of 2023.
be 90.2% more likely to be literate
In Senegal, the literacy rate is 50.4% as of 2023. In Malaysia, it is 95.8% as of 2022.
be 75.8% less 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 Malaysia, on the other hand, 7.0 children do as of 2024.
have 57.6% fewer children
In Senegal, there are approximately 29.2 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 34.8% more 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 Malaysia, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 63.0% more likely to have internet access
In Senegal, approximately 60.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malaysia, about 98.0% do as of 2024.
be 11.2% more 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 Malaysia, that number is 98% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 95% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 43.0% less on education
Senegal spends 6.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Malaysia spends 3.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Geography
see 8.8 times more coastline
Senegal has a total of 531 km of coastline. In Malaysia, that number is 4,675 km.
Safety
be 33.2% less likely to die in a road accident
In Senegal, road accidents kill 20.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malaysia, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 3.4 times more home broadband
Senegal has 4.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malaysia has 13.6 as of 2024.
live with 78.9% less strain on fresh water
Senegal withdraws 16% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malaysia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 12.4 times more electricity
Senegal uses 410 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 10.8 times more CO2
Senegal emits 0.8 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 (2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Senegal vs. Malaysia
Malaysia: At a glance
How big is Malaysia compared to Senegal? See an in-depth size comparison.