Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malaysia instead of Spain, you would:
Health
be 35.2% less likely to die by suicide
Spain has a suicide rate of 8.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malaysia, it is 5.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 7.1 years less
In Spain, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 86 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 52.4% more likely to be obese
In Spain, 15.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 23.3% of people as of 2024.
see 70.8% less spent on your healthcare
Spain spends $4,935 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malaysia spends $1,441 as of 2023.
have 45.5% fewer doctors per person
Spain has 42.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Malaysia has 23.4 as of 2023.
have 10.6% less access to essential health services
Spain scores 85 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Malaysia scores 76 as of 2021.
Economy
be 63.8% less likely to be unemployed
In Spain, 10.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malaysia, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.
be 74.8% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Spain, 20.2% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Malaysia, however, that number is 5.1% as of 2023.
make 66.0% less money
Spain has a GDP per capita of $38,627 as of 2025, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $13,125 as of 2025.
Life
have 90.2% more children
In Spain, there are approximately 6.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Malaysia, there are 12.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 8.7 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Spain, approximately 3.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malaysia, 26.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.7 times more likely to die during infancy
In Spain, approximately 2.6 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 23.5% less on education
Spain spends 4.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Malaysia spends 3.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 57.0% less on healthcare
Spain spends 9.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 4.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 4.0 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Spain, road accidents kill 3.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malaysia, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 92.0% less strain on fresh water
Spain withdraws 43% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malaysia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
find 65.5% less home broadband
Spain has 39.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malaysia has 13.6 as of 2024.
Environment
be 6.3 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Spain, air pollution causes 10.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Malaysia, it causes 63.0 as of 2019.
emit 84.5% more CO2
Spain emits 4.5 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), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Spain vs. Malaysia
Malaysia: At a glance
How big is Malaysia compared to Spain? See an in-depth size comparison.