Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malaysia instead of South Africa, you would:
Health
be 98.3% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In South Africa, 17.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 0.3% of people as of 2024.
live 10.5 years longer
In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 66 years (63 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.
be 26.6% less likely to be obese
In South Africa, 31.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 23.3% of people as of 2024.
have 2.9 times more doctors per person
South Africa has 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Malaysia has 23.4 as of 2023.
be 74.7% less likely to die by suicide
South Africa has a suicide rate of 22.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malaysia, it is 5.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 88.4% less likely to be unemployed
In South Africa, 32.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malaysia, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.
be 86.5% less likely to live below the poverty line
In South Africa, 37.9% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Malaysia, however, that number is 5.1% as of 2023.
make 98.9% more money
South Africa has a GDP per capita of $6,598 as of 2025, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $13,125 as of 2025.
Life
be 78.0% less 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 Malaysia, 26.0 women do as of 2023.
be 71.1% less 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 Malaysia, on the other hand, 7.0 children do as of 2024.
have 33.1% fewer children
In South Africa, there are approximately 18.5 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 14.0% more 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 Malaysia, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 25.1% more likely to have internet access
In South Africa, approximately 78.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malaysia, about 98.0% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 41.7% less on education
South Africa spends 6.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Malaysia spends 3.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 55.6% less on healthcare
South Africa spends 8.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 4.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 67.1% more coastline
South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In Malaysia, that number is 4,675 km.
Safety
be 98.3% less likely to be murdered
South Africa has a homicide rate of 43.7 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In Malaysia, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 2.4 times more likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In South Africa, 37% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2022. In Malaysia, that number is 90% as of 2021.
be 43.3% less likely to die in a road accident
In South Africa, road accidents kill 24.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malaysia, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 2.5 times more home broadband
South Africa has 5.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malaysia has 13.6 as of 2024.
live with 94.9% less strain on fresh water
South Africa withdraws 68% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malaysia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 56.6% more electricity
South Africa uses 3,247 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 34.0% more likely to die from air pollution
In South Africa, air pollution causes 47.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Malaysia, it causes 63.0 as of 2019.
emit 20.9% more CO2
South Africa emits 6.9 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 (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: South Africa vs. Malaysia
Malaysia: At a glance
How big is Malaysia compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.