Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 2.2 years longer

In Tanzania, the average life expectancy is 70 years (68 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2022. In Malawi, that number is 72 years (69 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022.

be 31.0% less likely to be obese

In Tanzania, 8.4% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Malawi, that number is 5.8% of people as of 2016.

be 72.3% more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Tanzania, 4.7% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Malawi, that number is 8.1% of people as of 2020.

Economy

make 42.3% less money

Tanzania has a GDP per capita of $2,600 as of 2022, while in Malawi, the GDP per capita is $1,500 as of 2022.

be 96.5% more likely to be unemployed

In Tanzania, 2.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Malawi, that number is 5.1% as of 2022.

be 92.0% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Tanzania, 26.4% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Malawi, however, that number is 50.7% as of 2019.

Life

be 60.1% more likely to die during childbirth

In Tanzania, approximately 238.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Malawi, 381.0 women do as of 2020.

be 17.7% less likely to be literate

In Tanzania, the literacy rate is 81.8% as of 2021. In Malawi, it is 67.3% as of 2021.

have 18.2% fewer children

In Tanzania, there are approximately 32.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Malawi, there are 26.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 27.8% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Tanzania, approximately 72% of people have improved drinking water access (95% in urban areas, and 59% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Malawi, that number is 92% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 91% in rural areas) as of 2020.

be 67.0% less likely to have access to electricity

In Tanzania, approximately 43% of people have electricity access (77% in urban areas, and 23% in rural areas) as of 2021. In Malawi, that number is 14% of people on average (54% in urban areas, and 6% in rural areas) as of 2021.

be 25.0% less likely to have internet access

In Tanzania, approximately 32.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Malawi, about 24.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 12.1% less on education

Tanzania spends 3.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Malawi spends 2.9% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 42.1% more on healthcare

Tanzania spends 3.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Malawi, that number is 5.4% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

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 Tanzania? See an in-depth size comparison.

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