Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Malaysia instead of South Korea, you would:

Health

live 6.8 years less

In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 83 years (80 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022. In Malaysia, that number is 76 years (74 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022.

be 3.3 times more likely to be obese

In South Korea, 4.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Malaysia, that number is 15.6% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 12.2% less likely to be unemployed

In South Korea, 3.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2019. In Malaysia, that number is 3.3% as of 2019.

be 61.1% less likely to live below the poverty line

In South Korea, 14.4% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Malaysia, however, that number is 5.6% as of 2018.

pay a 26.3% lower top tax rate

South Korea has a top tax rate of 38.0% as of 2016. In Malaysia, the top tax rate is 28.0% as of 2016.

make 37.6% less money

South Korea has a GDP per capita of $42,300 as of 2020, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $26,400 as of 2020.

Life

have 2.1 times more children

In South Korea, there are approximately 6.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Malaysia, there are 14.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.

be 2.6 times more likely to die during childbirth

In South Korea, approximately 11.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Malaysia, 29.0 women do as of 2017.

be 2.3 times more likely to die during infancy

In South Korea, approximately 2.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Malaysia, on the other hand, 6.6 children do as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 53.7% less on healthcare

South Korea spends 8.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Malaysia, that number is 3.8% of GDP as of 2019.

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.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia, National Tax Service, South Korea.

Malaysia: At a glance

Malaysia is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 328,657 sq km. During the late 18th and 19th centuries, Great Britain established colonies and protectorates in the area of current Malaysia; these were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. In 1948, the British-ruled territories on the Malay Peninsula except Singapore formed the Federation of Malaya, which became independent in 1957. Malaysia was formed in 1963 when the former British colonies of Singapore, as well as Sabah and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo, joined the Federation. The first several years of the country's independence were marred by a communist insurgency, Indonesian confrontation with Malaysia, Philippine claims to Sabah, and Singapore's withdrawal in 1965. During the 22-year term of Prime Minister MAHATHIR bin Mohamad (1981-2003), Malaysia was successful in diversifying its economy from dependence on exports of raw materials to the development of manufacturing, services, and tourism. Prime Minister Mohamed NAJIB bin Abdul Razak (in office since April 2009) has continued these pro-business policies and has introduced some civil reforms.
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How big is Malaysia compared to South Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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