Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malaysia instead of Turkmenistan, you would:
Health
live 6.6 years longer
In Turkmenistan, the average life expectancy is 70 years (67 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.
see 14.0% more spent on your healthcare
Turkmenistan spends $1,264 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malaysia spends $1,441 as of 2023.
have 21.3% more doctors per person
Turkmenistan has 19.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Malaysia has 23.4 as of 2023.
be 17.3% less likely to die by suicide
Turkmenistan has a suicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malaysia, it is 5.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 11.9% less likely to be unemployed
In Turkmenistan, 4.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malaysia, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.
make 2.0 times more money
Turkmenistan has a GDP per capita of $6,540 as of 2025, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $13,125 as of 2025.
Life
be 77.0% less likely to die during infancy
In Turkmenistan, approximately 30.4 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.
be 5.2 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Turkmenistan, approximately 5.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malaysia, 26.0 women do as of 2023.
have 40.9% fewer children
In Turkmenistan, there are approximately 20.9 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 3.9 times more likely to have internet access
In Turkmenistan, approximately 25.3% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Malaysia, about 98.0% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 18.2% less on education
Turkmenistan spends 4.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Malaysia spends 3.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 28.0% less on healthcare
Turkmenistan spends 5.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 4.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 73.8% more likely to die in a road accident
In Turkmenistan, road accidents kill 8.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malaysia, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 2.6 times more home broadband
Turkmenistan has 5.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Malaysia has 13.6 as of 2024.
live with 97.5% less strain on fresh water
Turkmenistan withdraws 135% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malaysia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 83.0% more electricity
Turkmenistan uses 2,778 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 27.6% less likely to die from air pollution
In Turkmenistan, air pollution causes 87.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Malaysia, it causes 63.0 as of 2019.
emit 23.4% less CO2
Turkmenistan emits 10.9 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 (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this
Compare further: Turkmenistan vs. Malaysia
Malaysia: At a glance
How big is Malaysia compared to Turkmenistan? See an in-depth size comparison.