Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 11.4 years longer

In Malawi, the average life expectancy is 72 years (69 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022. In Canada, that number is 84 years (82 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022.

be 5.1 times more likely to be obese

In Malawi, 5.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Canada, that number is 29.4% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 32.7 times more money

Malawi has a GDP per capita of $1,500 as of 2022, while in Canada, the GDP per capita is $49,000 as of 2022.

be 81.5% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Malawi, 50.7% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Canada, however, that number is 9.4% as of 2008.

pay a 10.0% higher top tax rate

Malawi has a top tax rate of 30.0% as of 2016. In Canada, the top tax rate is 33.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 97.1% less likely to die during childbirth

In Malawi, approximately 381.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Canada, 11.0 women do as of 2020.

be 86.9% less likely to die during infancy

In Malawi, approximately 33.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Canada, on the other hand, 4.4 children do as of 2022.

have 61.8% fewer children

In Malawi, there are approximately 26.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Canada, there are 10.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 7.1 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Malawi, approximately 14% of the population has electricity access as of 2021. In Canada, 100% of the population do as of 2021.

be 3.9 times more likely to have internet access

In Malawi, approximately 24.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Canada, about 93.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 79.3% more on education

Malawi spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Canada spends 5.2% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 2.4 times more on healthcare

Malawi spends 5.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Canada, that number is 12.9% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Malawi Revenue Authority, The World Factbook, Canada Revenue Agency.

Canada: At a glance

Canada is a sovereign country in North America, with a total land area of approximately 9,093,507 sq km. A land of vast distances and rich natural resources, Canada became a self-governing dominion in 1867 while retaining ties to the British crown. Economically and technologically, the nation has developed in parallel with the US, its neighbor to the south across the world's longest unfortified border. Canada faces the political challenges of meeting public demands for quality improvements in health care, education, social services, and economic competitiveness, as well as responding to the particular concerns of predominantly francophone Quebec. Canada also aims to develop its diverse energy resources while maintaining its commitment to the environment.
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How big is Canada compared to Malawi? See an in-depth size comparison.

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