Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malaysia instead of Zimbabwe, you would:
Health
be 96.9% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Zimbabwe, 9.8% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 0.3% of people as of 2024.
live 13.8 years longer
In Zimbabwe, the average life expectancy is 63 years (60 years for men, 65 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 times more spent on your healthcare
Zimbabwe spends $103 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malaysia spends $1,441 as of 2023.
have 17.2 times more doctors per person
Zimbabwe has 1.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Malaysia has 23.4 as of 2023.
have 38.2% more access to essential health services
Zimbabwe scores 55 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Malaysia scores 76 as of 2021.
be 67.4% less likely to die by suicide
Zimbabwe has a suicide rate of 17.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malaysia, it is 5.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 58.6% more likely to be obese
In Zimbabwe, 14.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 23.3% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 59.5% less likely to be unemployed
In Zimbabwe, 9.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malaysia, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.
make 4.3 times more money
Zimbabwe has a GDP per capita of $3,021 as of 2025, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $13,125 as of 2025.
Life
be 92.7% less likely to die during childbirth
In Zimbabwe, approximately 358.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Malaysia, 26.0 women do as of 2023.
be 88.8% less likely to die during infancy
In Zimbabwe, approximately 62.4 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.
have 58.6% fewer children
In Zimbabwe, there are approximately 29.9 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 61.3% more likely to have access to electricity
In Zimbabwe, approximately 62% of people have electricity access (84% in urban areas, and 51% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 2.4 times more likely to have internet access
In Zimbabwe, approximately 41.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Malaysia, about 98.0% do as of 2024.
be 45.7% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Zimbabwe, approximately 67% of people have access to drinking water (94% in urban areas, and 54% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 98% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 95% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 9.2 times more on education
Zimbabwe spends 0.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Malaysia spends 3.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 35.2% more on healthcare
Zimbabwe spends 2.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 4.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 89.2% less likely to be murdered
Zimbabwe has a homicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In Malaysia, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 53.5% less likely to die in a road accident
In Zimbabwe, road accidents kill 29.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malaysia, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 7.0 times more home broadband
Zimbabwe has 1.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malaysia has 13.6 as of 2024.
live with 92.5% less strain on fresh water
Zimbabwe withdraws 46% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malaysia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 10.1 times more electricity
Zimbabwe uses 504 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 12.5% more likely to die from air pollution
In Zimbabwe, air pollution causes 56.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Malaysia, it causes 63.0 as of 2019.
emit 10.8 times more CO2
Zimbabwe emits 0.8 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), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Zimbabwe vs. Malaysia
Malaysia: At a glance
How big is Malaysia compared to Zimbabwe? See an in-depth size comparison.