Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 2.8 years longer

In Malawi, the average life expectancy is 72 years (69 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022. In Samoa, that number is 75 years (72 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022.

be 8.2 times more likely to be obese

In Malawi, 5.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Samoa, that number is 47.3% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 3.5 times more money

Malawi has a GDP per capita of $1,700 as of 2023, while in Samoa, the GDP per capita is $6,000 as of 2023.

be 56.8% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Malawi, 50.7% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Samoa, however, that number is 21.9% as of 2018.

pay a 10.0% lower top tax rate

Malawi has a top tax rate of 30.0% as of 2016. In Samoa, the top tax rate is 27.0% as of 2016.

be 93.5% more likely to be unemployed

In Malawi, 5.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Samoa, that number is 9.8% as of 2023.

Life

be 84.5% less likely to die during childbirth

In Malawi, approximately 381.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Samoa, 59.0 women do as of 2020.

be 47.3% more likely to be literate

In Malawi, the literacy rate is 67.3% as of 2021. In Samoa, it is 99.1% as of 2021.

be 49.1% 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 Samoa, on the other hand, 17.0 children do as of 2020.

have 29.3% fewer children

In Malawi, there are approximately 26.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Samoa, there are 18.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 7.0 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Malawi, approximately 14% of people have electricity access (54% in urban areas, and 6% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Samoa, that number is 98% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 98% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 3.2 times more likely to have internet access

In Malawi, approximately 24.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Samoa, about 78.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 65.5% more on education

Malawi spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Samoa spends 4.8% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Malawi Revenue Authority, The World Factbook, Ministry of Revenue, Samoa.

Samoa: At a glance

Samoa is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 2,821 sq km. New Zealand occupied the German protectorate of Western Samoa at the outbreak of World War I in 1914. It continued to administer the islands as a mandate and then as a trust territory until 1962, when the islands became the first Polynesian nation to reestablish independence in the 20th century. The country dropped the "Western" from its name in 1997.
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How big is Samoa compared to Malawi? See an in-depth size comparison.

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