Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in United States instead of Malaysia, you would:

Health

live 4.5 years longer

In Malaysia, the average life expectancy is 76 years (74 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022. In United States, that number is 81 years (78 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2022.

be 2.3 times more likely to be obese

In Malaysia, 15.6% of adults are obese as of 2016. In United States, that number is 36.2% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 2.2 times more money

Malaysia has a GDP per capita of $33,600 as of 2023, while in United States, the GDP per capita is $73,600 as of 2023.

be 2.4 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Malaysia, 6.2% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In United States, however, that number is 15.1% as of 2010.

pay a 41.4% higher top tax rate

Malaysia has a top tax rate of 28.0% as of 2016. In United States, the top tax rate is 39.6% as of 2016.

Life

be 21.5% less 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 United States, on the other hand, 5.2 children do as of 2022.

have 14.1% fewer children

In Malaysia, there are approximately 14.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United States, there are 12.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Expenditures

spend 56.4% more on education

Malaysia spends 3.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. United States spends 6.1% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 4.6 times more on healthcare

Malaysia spends 4.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In United States, that number is 18.8% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 4.3 times more coastline

Malaysia has a total of 4,675 km of coastline. In United States, that number is 19,924 km.

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

United States: At a glance

United States (sometimes abbreviated US or USA) is a sovereign country in North America, with a total land area of approximately 9,147,593 sq km. Britain's American colonies broke with the mother country in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation of the United States of America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states were added to the original 13 as the nation expanded across the North American continent and acquired a number of overseas possessions. The two most traumatic experiences in the nation's history were the Civil War (1861-65), in which a northern Union of states defeated a secessionist Confederacy of 11 southern slave states, and the Great Depression of the 1930s, an economic downturn during which about a quarter of the labor force lost its jobs. Buoyed by victories in World Wars I and II and the end of the Cold War in 1991, the US remains the world's most powerful nation state. Since the end of World War II, the economy has achieved relatively steady growth, low unemployment and inflation, and rapid advances in technology.
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How big is United States compared to Malaysia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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