Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 93.8% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Malawi, 8.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Portugal, that number is 0.5% of people as of 2020.

live 9.1 years longer

In Malawi, the average life expectancy is 72 years (69 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022. In Portugal, that number is 82 years (78 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022.

be 3.6 times more likely to be obese

In Malawi, 5.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Portugal, that number is 20.8% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 24.5 times more money

Malawi has a GDP per capita of $1,700 as of 2023, while in Portugal, the GDP per capita is $41,700 as of 2023.

be 67.7% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Malawi, 50.7% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Portugal, however, that number is 16.4% as of 2021.

be 28.8% more likely to be unemployed

In Malawi, 5.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Portugal, that number is 6.5% as of 2023.

pay a 88.3% higher top tax rate

Malawi has a top tax rate of 30.0% as of 2016. In Portugal, the top tax rate is 56.5% as of 2016.

Life

be 96.9% less likely to die during childbirth

In Malawi, approximately 381.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Portugal, 12.0 women do as of 2020.

be 42.5% more likely to be literate

In Malawi, the literacy rate is 67.3% as of 2021. In Portugal, it is 95.9% as of 2021.

be 92.5% 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 Portugal, on the other hand, 2.5 children do as of 2022.

have 69.5% fewer children

In Malawi, there are approximately 26.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Portugal, there are 8.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020.

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 2022. In Portugal, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 3.4 times more likely to have internet access

In Malawi, approximately 24.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Portugal, about 82.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 72.4% more on education

Malawi spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Portugal spends 5.0% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 96.3% more on healthcare

Malawi spends 5.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Portugal, that number is 10.6% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Malawi Revenue Authority, The World Factbook, Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira.

Portugal: At a glance

Portugal is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 91,470 sq km. Following its heyday as a global maritime power during the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal lost much of its wealth and status with the destruction of Lisbon in a 1755 earthquake, occupation during the Napoleonic Wars, and the independence of Brazil, its wealthiest colony, in 1822. A 1910 revolution deposed the monarchy; for most of the next six decades, repressive governments ran the country. In 1974, a left-wing military coup installed broad democratic reforms. The following year, Portugal granted independence to all of its African colonies. Portugal is a founding member of NATO and entered the EC (now the EU) in 1986.
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How big is Portugal compared to Malawi? See an in-depth size comparison.

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