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

Health

be 3.3 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Malawi, 8.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Swaziland, that number is 26.8% of people as of 2020.

live 12.8 years less

In Malawi, the average life expectancy is 72 years (69 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022. In Swaziland, that number is 60 years (58 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2022.

be 2.8 times more likely to be obese

In Malawi, 5.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Swaziland, that number is 16.5% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 6.2 times more money

Malawi has a GDP per capita of $1,700 as of 2023, while in Swaziland, the GDP per capita is $10,600 as of 2023.

be 7.5 times more likely to be unemployed

In Malawi, 5.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Swaziland, that number is 37.6% as of 2023.

be 16.2% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Malawi, 50.7% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Swaziland, however, that number is 58.9% as of 2016.

pay a 10.0% higher top tax rate

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

Life

be 31.4% more likely to be literate

In Malawi, the literacy rate is 67.3% as of 2021. In Swaziland, it is 88.4% as of 2018.

be 18.5% more 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 Swaziland, on the other hand, 39.6 children do as of 2022.

have 16.2% fewer children

In Malawi, there are approximately 26.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Swaziland, there are 22.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 5.9 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 Swaziland, that number is 82% of people on average (94% in urban areas, and 79% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 2.5 times more likely to have internet access

In Malawi, approximately 24.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Swaziland, about 59.0% do as of 2021.

be 12.7% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Malawi, approximately 92% of people have improved drinking water access (97% in urban areas, and 91% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Swaziland, that number is 80% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 75% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 72.4% more on education

Malawi spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Swaziland spends 5.0% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

spend 20.4% more on healthcare

Malawi spends 5.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Swaziland, that number is 6.5% of GDP as of 2020.


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

Swaziland: At a glance

Swaziland is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 17,204 sq km. Autonomy for the Swazis of southern Africa was guaranteed by the British in the late 19th century; independence was granted in 1968. Student and labor unrest during the 1990s pressured King MSWATI III, Africa's last absolute monarch, to grudgingly allow political reform and greater democracy, although he has backslid on these promises in recent years. A constitution came into effect in 2006, but the legal status of political parties remains unclear. The African United Democratic Party tried unsuccessfully to register as an official political party in mid 2006. Talks over the constitution broke down between the government and progressive groups in 2007. Swaziland recently surpassed Botswana as the country with the world's highest known HIV/AIDS prevalence rate.
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How big is Swaziland compared to Malawi? See an in-depth size comparison.

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