Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Malawi instead of Singapore, you would:

Health

be 40.5 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Singapore, 0.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Malawi, that number is 8.1% of people as of 2020.

live 13.9 years less

In Singapore, the average life expectancy is 86 years (84 years for men, 89 years for women) as of 2022. In Malawi, that number is 72 years (69 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 98.4% less money

Singapore has a GDP per capita of $93,400 as of 2020, while in Malawi, the GDP per capita is $1,500 as of 2020.

be 9.1 times more likely to be unemployed

In Singapore, 2.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2019. In Malawi, that number is 20.4% as of 2013.

pay a 36.4% higher top tax rate

Singapore has a top tax rate of 22.0% as of 2016. In Malawi, the top tax rate is 30.0% as of 2016.

Life

have 3.1 times more children

In Singapore, there are approximately 9.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Malawi, there are 27.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.

be 43.6 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Singapore, approximately 8.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Malawi, 349.0 women do as of 2017.

be 36.3% less likely to be literate

In Singapore, the literacy rate is 97.5% as of 2019. In Malawi, it is 62.1% as of 2015.

be 21.6 times more likely to die during infancy

In Singapore, approximately 1.6 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Malawi, on the other hand, 33.4 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 87.0% less likely to have access to electricity

In Singapore, approximately 100% of the population has electricity access as of 2020. In Malawi, 13% of the population do as of 2019.

be 84.8% less likely to have internet access

In Singapore, approximately 92.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In Malawi, about 14.0% do as of 2019.

Expenditures

spend 16.0% more on education

Singapore spends 2.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Malawi spends 2.9% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 80.5% more on healthcare

Singapore spends 4.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Malawi, that number is 7.4% of GDP as of 2019.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Malawi Revenue Authority, The World Factbook, Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore.

Malawi: At a glance

Malawi is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 94,080 sq km. Established in 1891, the British protectorate of Nyasaland became the independent nation of Malawi in 1964. After three decades of one-party rule under President Hastings Kamuzu BANDA the country held multiparty elections in 1994, under a provisional constitution that came into full effect the following year. President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA, elected in May 2004 after a failed attempt by the previous president to amend the constitution to permit another term, struggled to assert his authority against his predecessor and subsequently started his own party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in 2005. MUTHARIKA was reelected to a second term in May 2009. He oversaw some economic improvement in his first term, but was accused of economic mismanagement and poor governance in his second term. He died abruptly in April 2012 and was succeeded by his vice president, Joyce BANDA, who had earlier started her own party, the People's Party (PP). Population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, corruption, and the scourge of HIV/AIDS pose major problems for Malawi.
Read more

How big is Malawi compared to Singapore? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Malawi.or Singapore It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.