Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Guatemala instead of Malaysia, you would:

Health

live 3.2 years less

In Malaysia, the average life expectancy is 76 years (74 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022. In Guatemala, that number is 73 years (71 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2022.

be 35.9% more likely to be obese

In Malaysia, 15.6% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Guatemala, that number is 21.2% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 29.8% less likely to be unemployed

In Malaysia, 3.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Guatemala, that number is 2.7% as of 2023.

pay a 75.0% lower top tax rate

Malaysia has a top tax rate of 28.0% as of 2016. In Guatemala, the top tax rate is 7.0% as of 2016.

make 62.2% less money

Malaysia has a GDP per capita of $33,600 as of 2023, while in Guatemala, the GDP per capita is $12,700 as of 2023.

be 9.6 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Malaysia, 6.2% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Guatemala, however, that number is 59.3% as of 2014.

Life

have 50.7% more children

In Malaysia, there are approximately 14.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Guatemala, there are 21.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 4.6 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Malaysia, approximately 21.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Guatemala, 96.0 women do as of 2020.

be 12.3% less likely to be literate

In Malaysia, the literacy rate is 95.0% as of 2019. In Guatemala, it is 83.3% as of 2021.

be 4.0 times more likely to die during infancy

In Malaysia, approximately 6.6 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Guatemala, on the other hand, 26.2 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 47.4% less likely to have internet access

In Malaysia, approximately 97.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Guatemala, about 51.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 20.5% less on education

Malaysia spends 3.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Guatemala spends 3.1% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

spend 58.5% more on healthcare

Malaysia spends 4.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Guatemala, that number is 6.5% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 91.4% less coastline

Malaysia has a total of 4,675 km of coastline. In Guatemala, that number is 400 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia, Superintendence of the Tax Administration.

Guatemala: At a glance

Guatemala is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 107,159 sq km. The Maya civilization flourished in Guatemala and surrounding regions during the first millennium A.D. After almost three centuries as a Spanish colony, Guatemala won its independence in 1821. During the second half of the 20th century, it experienced a variety of military and civilian governments, as well as a 36-year guerrilla war. In 1996, the government signed a peace agreement formally ending the internal conflict, which had left more than 200,000 people dead and had created, by some estimates, about 1 million refugees.
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How big is Guatemala compared to Malaysia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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