Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Malawi instead of Papua New Guinea, you would:

Health

live 3.0 years longer

In Papua New Guinea, the average life expectancy is 69 years (68 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2022. In Malawi, that number is 72 years (69 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022.

be 72.8% less likely to be obese

In Papua New Guinea, 21.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Malawi, that number is 5.8% of people as of 2016.

be 9.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Papua New Guinea, 0.9% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Malawi, that number is 8.1% of people as of 2020.

Economy

pay a 28.6% lower top tax rate

Papua New Guinea has a top tax rate of 42.0% as of 2016. In Malawi, the top tax rate is 30.0% as of 2016.

make 59.5% less money

Papua New Guinea has a GDP per capita of $4,200 as of 2023, while in Malawi, the GDP per capita is $1,700 as of 2023.

be 90.2% more likely to be unemployed

In Papua New Guinea, 2.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Malawi, that number is 5.0% as of 2023.

be 37.0% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Papua New Guinea, 37.0% live below the poverty line as of 2002. In Malawi, however, that number is 50.7% as of 2019.

Life

be 98.4% more likely to die during childbirth

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 192.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Malawi, 381.0 women do as of 2020.

Basic Needs

be 93.7% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 48% of people have improved drinking water access (86% in urban areas, and 42% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Malawi, that number is 92% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 91% in rural areas) as of 2020.

be 26.3% less likely to have access to electricity

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 19% of people have electricity access (65% in urban areas, and 14% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Malawi, that number is 14% of people on average (54% in urban areas, and 6% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 25.0% less likely to have internet access

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 32.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Malawi, about 24.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 2.1 times more on education

Papua New Guinea spends 1.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Malawi spends 2.9% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 2.2 times more on healthcare

Papua New Guinea spends 2.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Malawi, that number is 5.4% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Malawi Revenue Authority, The World Factbook, Internal Revenue Commission, Papua New Guinea.

Malawi: At a glance

Malawi is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 94,080 sq km. Established in 1891, the British protectorate of Nyasaland became the independent nation of Malawi in 1964. After three decades of one-party rule under President Hastings Kamuzu BANDA the country held multiparty elections in 1994, under a provisional constitution that came into full effect the following year. President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA, elected in May 2004 after a failed attempt by the previous president to amend the constitution to permit another term, struggled to assert his authority against his predecessor and subsequently started his own party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in 2005. MUTHARIKA was reelected to a second term in May 2009. He oversaw some economic improvement in his first term, but was accused of economic mismanagement and poor governance in his second term. He died abruptly in April 2012 and was succeeded by his vice president, Joyce BANDA, who had earlier started her own party, the People's Party (PP). Population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, corruption, and the scourge of HIV/AIDS pose major problems for Malawi.
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How big is Malawi compared to Papua New Guinea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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