Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 5.2 years less

In Virginia, the average life expectancy is 78 years (77 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2020. In Malawi, that number is 72 years (69 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022.

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Economy

make 97.5% less money

Virginia has a GDP per capita of $69,111 as of 2024, while in Malawi, the GDP per capita is $1,700 as of 2023.

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be 48.2% more likely to be unemployed

In Virginia, 3.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Malawi, that number is 5.0% as of 2023.

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Basic Needs

be 73.4% less likely to have internet access

In Virginia, approximately 90.1% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In Malawi, about 24.0% do as of 2021.

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The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, OECD Regional Demography, Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Compare further: Virginia vs. Malawi

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Malawi is 41.8% cheaper than Virginia
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Size Comparison · See true size
Virginia is about 1.2 times smaller than Malawi.
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Moving from Virginia to Malawi · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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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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How big is Malawi compared to Virginia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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