Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Puerto Rico instead of Malaysia, you would:

Health

live 5.6 years longer

In Malaysia, the average life expectancy is 76 years (74 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022. In Puerto Rico, that number is 82 years (78 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 20.8% more money

Malaysia has a GDP per capita of $28,400 as of 2022, while in Puerto Rico, the GDP per capita is $34,300 as of 2022.

be 65.3% more likely to be unemployed

In Malaysia, 3.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Puerto Rico, that number is 6.0% as of 2022.

pay a 17.9% higher top tax rate

Malaysia has a top tax rate of 28.0% as of 2016. In Puerto Rico, the top tax rate is 33.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 61.9% more likely to die during childbirth

In Malaysia, approximately 21.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Puerto Rico, 34.0 women do as of 2020.

have 45.1% fewer children

In Malaysia, there are approximately 14.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Puerto Rico, there are 7.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 19.9% less likely to have internet access

In Malaysia, approximately 97.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Puerto Rico, about 77.7% do as of 2021.

Geography

see 89.3% less coastline

Malaysia has a total of 4,675 km of coastline. In Puerto Rico, that number is 501 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia, Puerto Rican Department of Treasury.

Puerto Rico: At a glance

Puerto Rico is a territory in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 8,959 sq km. Populated for centuries by aboriginal peoples, the island was claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 following Christopher COLUMBUS' second voyage to the Americas. In 1898, after 400 years of colonial rule that saw the indigenous population nearly exterminated and African slave labor introduced, Puerto Rico was ceded to the US as a result of the Spanish-American War. Puerto Ricans were granted US citizenship in 1917. Popularly-elected governors have served since 1948. In 1952, a constitution was enacted providing for internal self government. In plebiscites held in 1967, 1993, and 1998, voters chose not to alter the existing political status with the US, but the results of a 2012 vote left open the possibility of American statehood.
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How big is Puerto Rico compared to Malaysia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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