Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malaysia instead of Solomon Islands, you would:
Health
live 6.1 years longer
In Solomon Islands, the average life expectancy is 71 years (69 years for men, 72 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 9.4 times more spent on your healthcare
Solomon Islands spends $153 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malaysia spends $1,441 as of 2023.
have 9.8 times more doctors per person
Solomon Islands has 2.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Malaysia has 23.4 as of 2023.
have 61.7% more access to essential health services
Solomon Islands scores 47 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Malaysia scores 76 as of 2021.
be 71.2% less likely to die by suicide
Solomon Islands has a suicide rate of 19.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malaysia, it is 5.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 6.3 times more money
Solomon Islands has a GDP per capita of $2,086 as of 2025, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $13,125 as of 2025.
be 2.6 times more likely to be unemployed
In Solomon Islands, 1.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malaysia, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.
Life
be 78.9% less likely to die during childbirth
In Solomon Islands, approximately 123.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malaysia, 26.0 women do as of 2023.
be 57.3% less likely to die during infancy
In Solomon Islands, approximately 16.4 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 53.7% fewer children
In Solomon Islands, there are approximately 26.7 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 23.0% more likely to have access to electricity
In Solomon Islands, approximately 81% of people have electricity access (81% in urban areas, and 81% 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 3.4 times more likely to have internet access
In Solomon Islands, approximately 29.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malaysia, about 98.0% do as of 2024.
be 36.8% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Solomon Islands, approximately 72% of people have access to drinking water (91% in urban areas, and 65% 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 57.7% less on education
Solomon Islands spends 8.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Malaysia spends 3.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 26.1% less on healthcare
Solomon Islands spends 5.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 4.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 12.0% less coastline
Solomon Islands has a total of 5,313 km of coastline. In Malaysia, that number is 4,675 km.
Safety
be 24.1% more likely to die in a road accident
In Solomon Islands, road accidents kill 11.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malaysia, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 123.2 times more home broadband
Solomon Islands has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Malaysia has 13.6 as of 2024.
Environment
be 10.5% more likely to die from air pollution
In Solomon Islands, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Malaysia, it causes 63.0 as of 2019.
emit 21.9 times more CO2
Solomon Islands emits 0.4 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 (2019–2021), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Solomon Islands vs. Malaysia
Malaysia: At a glance
How big is Malaysia compared to Solomon Islands? See an in-depth size comparison.