Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malaysia instead of Thailand, you would:
Health
see 35.1% more spent on your healthcare
Thailand spends $1,067 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malaysia spends $1,441 as of 2023.
have 4.3 times more doctors per person
Thailand has 5.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Malaysia has 23.4 as of 2023.
be 65.9% less likely to die by suicide
Thailand has a suicide rate of 16.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malaysia, it is 5.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 42.6% more likely to be obese
In Thailand, 16.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 23.3% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 62.9% more money
Thailand has a GDP per capita of $8,057 as of 2025, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $13,125 as of 2025.
be 4.8 times more likely to be unemployed
In Thailand, 0.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malaysia, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.
Life
be 23.5% less likely to die during childbirth
In Thailand, approximately 34.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malaysia, 26.0 women do as of 2023.
have 52.2% more children
In Thailand, there are approximately 8.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Malaysia, there are 12.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 12.8% less on healthcare
Thailand spends 4.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 4.0% of GDP as of 2023.
spend 39.3% more on education
Thailand spends 2.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Malaysia spends 3.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Geography
see 45.2% more coastline
Thailand has a total of 3,219 km of coastline. In Malaysia, that number is 4,675 km.
Safety
be 35.2% more likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Thailand, 67% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2022. In Malaysia, that number is 90% as of 2021.
be 45.3% less likely to die in a road accident
In Thailand, road accidents kill 25.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malaysia, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 85.0% less strain on fresh water
Thailand withdraws 23% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malaysia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 71.4% more electricity
Thailand uses 2,965 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 2.2 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Thailand, air pollution causes 29.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Malaysia, it causes 63.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.1 times more CO2
Thailand emits 4.0 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 (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Thailand vs. Malaysia
Malaysia: At a glance
How big is Malaysia compared to Thailand? See an in-depth size comparison.