Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malawi instead of United Kingdom, you would:
Health
be 70.8% less likely to be obese
In United Kingdom, 27.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 8.0% of people as of 2024.
be 20.7% less likely to die by suicide
United Kingdom has a suicide rate of 9.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malawi, it is 7.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 31.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In United Kingdom, 0.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2023. In Malawi, that number is 6.2% of people as of 2024.
live 13.8 years less
In United Kingdom, the average life expectancy is 81 years (80 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.
see 98.1% less spent on your healthcare
United Kingdom spends $6,606 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malawi spends $125 as of 2023.
have 98.4% fewer doctors per person
United Kingdom has 33.0 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Malawi has 0.5 as of 2022.
have 45.5% less access to essential health services
United Kingdom scores 88 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Malawi scores 48 as of 2021.
Economy
make 98.8% less money
United Kingdom has a GDP per capita of $57,602 as of 2025, while in Malawi, the GDP per capita is $672 as of 2025.
Life
have 3.1 times more children
In United Kingdom, there are approximately 9.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Malawi, there are 31.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 28.1 times more likely to die during childbirth
In United Kingdom, approximately 8.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malawi, 225.0 women do as of 2023.
be 9.3 times more likely to die during infancy
In United Kingdom, approximately 4.1 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.
Basic Needs
be 84.4% less likely to have access to electricity
In United Kingdom, 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.
be 80.1% less likely to have internet access
In United Kingdom, approximately 95.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malawi, about 19.0% do as of 2024.
be 27.0% less likely to have access to drinking water
In United Kingdom, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 100% 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.
Expenditures
spend 53.5% less on education
United Kingdom spends 5.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Malawi spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 41.3% less on healthcare
United Kingdom spends 11.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Malawi, that number is 6.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 8.4 times more likely to die in a road accident
In United Kingdom, road accidents kill 2.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malawi, they kill 20.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 99.8% less home broadband
United Kingdom has 42.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malawi has 0.1 as of 2024.
live with 22.0% more strain on fresh water
United Kingdom withdraws 14% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malawi withdraws 18% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 94.8% less CO2
United Kingdom emits 4.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Malawi emits 0.2 tonnes as of 2024.
be 3.3 times more likely to die from air pollution
In United Kingdom, air pollution causes 13.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Malawi, it causes 43.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: United Kingdom vs. Malawi
Malawi: At a glance
How big is Malawi compared to United Kingdom? See an in-depth size comparison.