Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malaysia instead of Sri Lanka, you would:
Health
see 2.8 times more spent on your healthcare
Sri Lanka spends $507 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malaysia spends $1,441 as of 2023.
have 2.1 times more doctors per person
Sri Lanka has 11.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Malaysia has 23.4 as of 2023.
have 13.4% more access to essential health services
Sri Lanka scores 67 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Malaysia scores 76 as of 2021.
be 61.7% less likely to die by suicide
Sri Lanka has a suicide rate of 14.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malaysia, it is 5.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 0.9 years less
In Sri Lanka, the average life expectancy is 78 years (74 years for men, 81 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 2.1 times more likely to be obese
In Sri Lanka, 11.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 23.3% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 2.6 times more money
Sri Lanka has a GDP per capita of $5,002 as of 2025, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $13,125 as of 2025.
Life
have 22.4% more children
In Sri Lanka, there are approximately 10.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Malaysia, there are 12.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 44.4% more likely to die during childbirth
In Sri Lanka, approximately 18.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malaysia, 26.0 women do as of 2023.
be 34.6% more likely to die during infancy
In Sri Lanka, approximately 5.2 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.
Basic Needs
be 79.6% more likely to have internet access
In Sri Lanka, approximately 54.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malaysia, about 98.0% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 91.8% more on education
Sri Lanka spends 1.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Malaysia spends 3.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Geography
see 3.5 times more coastline
Sri Lanka has a total of 1,340 km of coastline. In Malaysia, that number is 4,675 km.
Safety
be 20.9% more likely to die in a road accident
In Sri Lanka, road accidents kill 11.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malaysia, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 60.0% more home broadband
Sri Lanka has 8.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malaysia has 13.6 as of 2024.
live with 96.2% less strain on fresh water
Sri Lanka withdraws 91% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malaysia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 7.9 times more electricity
Sri Lanka uses 644 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 70.3% more likely to die from air pollution
In Sri Lanka, air pollution causes 37.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Malaysia, it causes 63.0 as of 2019.
emit 7.8 times more CO2
Sri Lanka emits 1.1 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), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Sri Lanka vs. Malaysia
Malaysia: At a glance
How big is Malaysia compared to Sri Lanka? See an in-depth size comparison.