Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 9.2 years longer

In Cameroon, the average life expectancy is 63 years (61 years for men, 65 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 49.1% less likely to be obese

In Cameroon, 11.4% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Malawi, that number is 5.8% of people as of 2016.

be 2.7 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Cameroon, 3.0% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Malawi, that number is 8.1% of people as of 2020.

Economy

pay a 14.3% lower top tax rate

Cameroon has a top tax rate of 35.0% as of 2016. In Malawi, the top tax rate is 30.0% as of 2016.

make 64.6% less money

Cameroon has a GDP per capita of $4,800 as of 2023, while in Malawi, the GDP per capita is $1,700 as of 2023.

be 38.1% more likely to be unemployed

In Cameroon, 3.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Malawi, that number is 5.0% as of 2023.

be 35.2% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Cameroon, 37.5% live below the poverty line as of 2014. In Malawi, however, that number is 50.7% as of 2019.

Life

be 31.4% less likely to die during infancy

In Cameroon, approximately 48.7 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Malawi, on the other hand, 33.4 children do as of 2022.

be 12.7% less likely to be literate

In Cameroon, the literacy rate is 77.1% as of 2018. In Malawi, it is 67.3% as of 2021.

have 23.3% fewer children

In Cameroon, there are approximately 34.7 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 17.0% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Cameroon, approximately 79% of people have improved drinking water access (95% in urban areas, and 56% 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 80.3% less likely to have access to electricity

In Cameroon, approximately 71% of people have electricity access (95% in urban areas, and 25% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Malawi, that number is 14% of people on average (54% in urban areas, and 6% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 47.8% less likely to have internet access

In Cameroon, approximately 46.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Malawi, about 24.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 42.1% more on healthcare

Cameroon 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: Malawi Revenue Authority, The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance.

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 Cameroon? See an in-depth size comparison.

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