Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 2.3 years longer

In Malaysia, the average life expectancy is 76 years (74 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022. In Uruguay, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2022.

be 78.8% more likely to be obese

In Malaysia, 15.6% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Uruguay, that number is 27.9% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 2.2 times more likely to be unemployed

In Malaysia, 3.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Uruguay, that number is 8.3% as of 2023.

be 59.7% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Malaysia, 6.2% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Uruguay, however, that number is 9.9% as of 2022.

Life

be 26.1% 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 Uruguay, on the other hand, 8.3 children do as of 2022.

have 11.3% fewer children

In Malaysia, there are approximately 14.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Uruguay, there are 12.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Expenditures

spend 17.9% more on education

Malaysia spends 3.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Uruguay spends 4.6% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 2.2 times more on healthcare

Malaysia spends 4.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Uruguay, that number is 9.2% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 85.9% less coastline

Malaysia has a total of 4,675 km of coastline. In Uruguay, that number is 660 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Uruguay: At a glance

Uruguay is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 175,015 sq km. Montevideo, founded by the Spanish in 1726 as a military stronghold, soon took advantage of its natural harbor to become an important commercial center. Claimed by Argentina but annexed by Brazil in 1821, Uruguay declared its independence four years later and secured its freedom in 1828 after a three-year struggle. The administrations of President Jose BATLLE in the early 20th century launched widespread political, social, and economic reforms that established a statist tradition. A violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement named the Tupamaros, launched in the late 1960s, led Uruguay's president to cede control of the government to the military in 1973. By yearend, the rebels had been crushed, but the military continued to expand its hold over the government. Civilian rule was not restored until 1985. In 2004, the left-of-center Frente Amplio Coalition won national elections that effectively ended 170 years of political control previously held by the Colorado and Blanco parties. Uruguay's political and labor conditions are among the freest on the continent.
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How big is Uruguay compared to Malaysia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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