Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malaysia instead of Swaziland, you would:
Health
be 98.7% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Swaziland, 23.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 0.3% of people as of 2024.
live 12.6 years longer
In Swaziland, the average life expectancy is 64 years (61 years for men, 67 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 21.2% less likely to be obese
In Swaziland, 29.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 23.3% of people as of 2024.
see 56.3% more spent on your healthcare
Swaziland spends $922 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malaysia spends $1,441 as of 2023.
have 4.2 times more doctors per person
Swaziland has 5.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Malaysia has 23.4 as of 2023.
have 35.7% more access to essential health services
Swaziland scores 56 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Malaysia scores 76 as of 2021.
be 79.3% less likely to die by suicide
Swaziland has a suicide rate of 27.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malaysia, it is 5.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 89.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Swaziland, 34.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malaysia, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.
be 90.5% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Swaziland, 53.5% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Malaysia, however, that number is 5.1% as of 2023.
make 3.2 times more money
Swaziland has a GDP per capita of $4,108 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 Swaziland, 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 83.4% less likely to die during infancy
In Swaziland, approximately 42.2 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 47.7% fewer children
In Swaziland, there are approximately 23.6 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 15.7% more likely to have access to electricity
In Swaziland, approximately 86% of people have electricity access (91% in urban areas, and 85% 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 54.6% more likely to have internet access
In Swaziland, approximately 63.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malaysia, about 98.0% do as of 2024.
be 21.9% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Swaziland, approximately 80% of people have access to drinking water (98% in urban areas, and 74% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 98% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 95% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 41.8% less on education
Swaziland 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 47.2% less on healthcare
Swaziland spends 7.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 4.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 94.2% less likely to be murdered
Swaziland has a homicide rate of 12.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malaysia, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 43.7% less likely to die in a road accident
In Swaziland, road accidents kill 24.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malaysia, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 5.4 times more home broadband
Swaziland has 2.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malaysia has 13.6 as of 2024.
live with 95.6% less strain on fresh water
Swaziland withdraws 78% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malaysia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 4.2 times more electricity
Swaziland uses 1,200 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 9.5 times more CO2
Swaziland emits 0.9 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 (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Swaziland vs. Malaysia
Malaysia: At a glance
How big is Malaysia compared to Swaziland? See an in-depth size comparison.