If you lived in Malawi instead of Turkey, you would:

Health

be 72.2% less likely to be obese

In Turkey, 28.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 8.0% of people as of 2024.

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live 9.9 years less

In Turkey, the average life expectancy is 77 years (75 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 92.9% less spent on your healthcare

Turkey spends $1,769 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malawi spends $125 as of 2023.

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have 97.6% fewer doctors per person

Turkey has 22.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Malawi has 0.5 as of 2022.

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have 36.8% less access to essential health services

Turkey scores 76 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Malawi scores 48 as of 2021.

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be 2.8 times more likely to die by suicide

Turkey has a suicide rate of 2.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malawi, it is 7.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 40.5% less likely to be unemployed

In Turkey, 8.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malawi, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.

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be 3.6 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Turkey, 13.0% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Malawi, however, that number is 47.3% as of 2024.

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make 96.4% less money

Turkey has a GDP per capita of $18,599 as of 2025, while in Malawi, the GDP per capita is $672 as of 2025.

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Life

have 2.8 times more children

In Turkey, there are approximately 11.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Malawi, there are 31.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 15.0 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Turkey, approximately 15.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malawi, 225.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 30.8% less likely to be literate

In Turkey, the literacy rate is 97.3% as of 2021. In Malawi, it is 67.3% as of 2021.

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be 4.8 times more likely to die during infancy

In Turkey, approximately 8.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Malawi, on the other hand, 38.0 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 84.4% less likely to have access to electricity

In Turkey, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Malawi, that number is 16% of people on average (58% in urban areas, and 6% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 78.9% less likely to have internet access

In Turkey, approximately 89.8% of the population has internet access as of 2025. In Malawi, about 19.0% do as of 2024.

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be 23.9% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Turkey, approximately 96% of people have access to drinking water (96% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 73% of people on average (86% in urban areas, and 70% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 11.3% less on education

Turkey spends 3.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Malawi spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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spend 52.6% more on healthcare

Turkey spends 4.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Malawi, that number is 6.5% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 3.1 times more likely to die in a road accident

In Turkey, road accidents kill 6.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malawi, they kill 20.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 63.5% less strain on fresh water

Turkey withdraws 48% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malawi withdraws 18% as of 2022.

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find 99.6% less home broadband

Turkey has 23.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malawi has 0.1 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 95.9% less CO2

Turkey emits 5.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Malawi emits 0.2 tonnes as of 2024.

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be 10.3% more likely to die from air pollution

In Turkey, air pollution causes 39.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Malawi, it causes 43.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this

Malawi: At a glance

Malawi is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 94,080 sq km. Established in 1891, the British protectorate of Nyasaland became the independent nation of Malawi in 1964. After three decades of one-party rule under President Hastings Kamuzu BANDA the country held multiparty elections in 1994, under a provisional constitution that came into full effect the following year. President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA, elected in May 2004 after a failed attempt by the previous president to amend the constitution to permit another term, struggled to assert his authority against his predecessor and subsequently started his own party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in 2005. MUTHARIKA was reelected to a second term in May 2009. He oversaw some economic improvement in his first term, but was accused of economic mismanagement and poor governance in his second term. He died abruptly in April 2012 and was succeeded by his vice president, Joyce BANDA, who had earlier started her own party, the People's Party (PP). Population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, corruption, and the scourge of HIV/AIDS pose major problems for Malawi.
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