Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malaysia instead of South Korea, you would:
Health
be 79.5% less likely to die by suicide
South Korea has a suicide rate of 27.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malaysia, it is 5.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 6.8 years less
In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 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 2.8 times more likely to be obese
In South Korea, 8.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 23.3% of people as of 2024.
see 71.6% less spent on your healthcare
South Korea spends $5,081 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malaysia spends $1,441 as of 2023.
have 10.3% fewer doctors per person
South Korea has 26.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Malaysia has 23.4 as of 2023.
have 14.6% less access to essential health services
South Korea scores 89 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Malaysia scores 76 as of 2021.
Economy
be 40.3% more likely to be unemployed
In South Korea, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malaysia, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.
make 63.8% less money
South Korea has a GDP per capita of $36,227 as of 2025, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $13,125 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.6 times more children
In South Korea, there are approximately 4.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Malaysia, there are 12.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 6.5 times more likely to die during childbirth
In South Korea, approximately 4.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malaysia, 26.0 women do as of 2023.
be 3.0 times more likely to die during infancy
In South Korea, approximately 2.3 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.
Expenditures
spend 35.1% less on education
South Korea spends 5.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Malaysia spends 3.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 54.4% less on healthcare
South Korea spends 8.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 4.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 93.7% more coastline
South Korea has a total of 2,413 km of coastline. In Malaysia, that number is 4,675 km.
Safety
be 41.2% more likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In South Korea, 64% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2021. In Malaysia, that number is 90% as of 2021.
be 52.1% more likely to be murdered
South Korea has a homicide rate of 0.5 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 2.0 times more likely to die in a road accident
In South Korea, road accidents kill 6.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malaysia, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 96.0% less strain on fresh water
South Korea withdraws 85% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malaysia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
find 71.7% less home broadband
South Korea has 47.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malaysia has 13.6 as of 2024.
use 55.2% less electricity
South Korea uses 11,350 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 26.8% less CO2
South Korea emits 11.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Malaysia emits 8.3 tonnes as of 2024.
be 3.3 times more likely to die from air pollution
In South Korea, air pollution causes 19.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Malaysia, it causes 63.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: South Korea vs. Malaysia
Malaysia: At a glance
How big is Malaysia compared to South Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.