Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malawi instead of South Africa, you would:
Health
be 64.0% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In South Africa, 17.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 6.2% of people as of 2024.
live 1.2 years longer
In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 66 years (63 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.
be 74.8% less likely to be obese
In South Africa, 31.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 8.0% of people as of 2024.
be 66.1% less likely to die by suicide
South Africa has a suicide rate of 22.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malawi, it is 7.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
see 90.7% less spent on your healthcare
South Africa spends $1,354 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malawi spends $125 as of 2023.
have 93.2% fewer doctors per person
South Africa has 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Malawi has 0.5 as of 2022.
have 32.4% less access to essential health services
South Africa scores 71 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Malawi scores 48 as of 2021.
Economy
be 84.3% less likely to be unemployed
In South Africa, 32.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malawi, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
be 24.8% more likely to live below the poverty line
In South Africa, 37.9% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Malawi, however, that number is 47.3% as of 2024.
make 89.8% less money
South Africa has a GDP per capita of $6,598 as of 2025, while in Malawi, the GDP per capita is $672 as of 2025.
Life
have 68.5% more children
In South Africa, there are approximately 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Malawi, there are 31.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 90.7% more likely to die during childbirth
In South Africa, approximately 118.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malawi, 225.0 women do as of 2023.
be 26.2% less likely to be literate
In South Africa, the literacy rate is 91.2% as of 2024. In Malawi, it is 67.3% as of 2021.
be 57.0% more likely to die during infancy
In South Africa, approximately 24.2 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 82.2% less likely to have access to electricity
In South Africa, approximately 88% of people have electricity access (91% in urban areas, and 94% 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 75.8% less likely to have internet access
In South Africa, approximately 78.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malawi, about 19.0% do as of 2024.
be 19.0% less likely to have access to drinking water
In South Africa, approximately 90% of people have access to drinking water (98% in urban areas, and 73% 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 54.3% less on education
South Africa spends 6.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Malawi spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 26.7% less on healthcare
South Africa spends 8.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Malawi, that number is 6.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 17.6% less likely to die in a road accident
In South Africa, road accidents kill 24.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malawi, they kill 20.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 74.1% less strain on fresh water
South Africa withdraws 68% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malawi withdraws 18% as of 2022.
find 98.3% less home broadband
South Africa has 5.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malawi has 0.1 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 96.8% less CO2
South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Malawi emits 0.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: South Africa vs. Malawi
Malawi: At a glance
How big is Malawi compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.