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

Health

be 69.2% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Nigeria, 1.3% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Malaysia, that number is 0.4% of people as of 2020.

live 14.8 years longer

In Nigeria, the average life expectancy is 61 years (60 years for men, 63 years for women) as of 2022. In Malaysia, that number is 76 years (74 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022.

be 75.3% more likely to be obese

In Nigeria, 8.9% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Malaysia, that number is 15.6% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 5.9 times more money

Nigeria has a GDP per capita of $5,700 as of 2023, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $33,600 as of 2023.

be 84.5% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Nigeria, 40.1% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Malaysia, however, that number is 6.2% as of 2021.

be 25.7% more likely to be unemployed

In Nigeria, 3.1% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 3.9% as of 2023.

pay a 16.7% higher top tax rate

Nigeria has a top tax rate of 24.0% as of 2016. In Malaysia, the top tax rate is 28.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 55.3% less likely to die during childbirth

In Nigeria, approximately 47.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Malaysia, 21.0 women do as of 2020.

be 53.2% more likely to be literate

In Nigeria, the literacy rate is 62.0% as of 2018. In Malaysia, it is 95.0% as of 2019.

be 88.4% less likely to die during infancy

In Nigeria, approximately 56.7 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Malaysia, on the other hand, 6.6 children do as of 2022.

have 58.0% fewer children

In Nigeria, there are approximately 33.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Malaysia, there are 14.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 65.3% more likely to have access to electricity

In Nigeria, approximately 60% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Malaysia, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 76.4% more likely to have internet access

In Nigeria, approximately 55.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Malaysia, about 97.0% do as of 2021.

be 18.0% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Nigeria, approximately 83% of people have improved drinking water access (95% in urban areas, and 69% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Malaysia, that number is 98% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 91% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 7.8 times more on education

Nigeria spends 0.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2013. Malaysia spends 3.9% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 20.6% more on healthcare

Nigeria spends 3.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Malaysia, that number is 4.1% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 5.5 times more coastline

Nigeria has a total of 853 km of coastline. In Malaysia, that number is 4,675 km.


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

Malaysia: At a glance

Malaysia is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 328,657 sq km. During the late 18th and 19th centuries, Great Britain established colonies and protectorates in the area of current Malaysia; these were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. In 1948, the British-ruled territories on the Malay Peninsula except Singapore formed the Federation of Malaya, which became independent in 1957. Malaysia was formed in 1963 when the former British colonies of Singapore, as well as Sabah and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo, joined the Federation. The first several years of the country's independence were marred by a communist insurgency, Indonesian confrontation with Malaysia, Philippine claims to Sabah, and Singapore's withdrawal in 1965. During the 22-year term of Prime Minister MAHATHIR bin Mohamad (1981-2003), Malaysia was successful in diversifying its economy from dependence on exports of raw materials to the development of manufacturing, services, and tourism. Prime Minister Mohamed NAJIB bin Abdul Razak (in office since April 2009) has continued these pro-business policies and has introduced some civil reforms.
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How big is Malaysia compared to Nigeria? See an in-depth size comparison.

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