Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 96.6% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Zimbabwe, 11.9% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Malaysia, that number is 0.4% of people as of 2020.

live 12.8 years longer

In Zimbabwe, the average life expectancy is 63 years (61 years for men, 66 years for women) as of 2022. In Malaysia, that number is 76 years (74 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 9.6 times more money

Zimbabwe has a GDP per capita of $3,500 as of 2023, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $33,600 as of 2023.

be 55.9% less likely to be unemployed

In Zimbabwe, 8.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 3.9% as of 2023.

be 83.8% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Zimbabwe, 38.3% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Malaysia, however, that number is 6.2% as of 2021.

pay a 44.0% lower top tax rate

Zimbabwe has a top tax rate of 50.0% as of 2016. In Malaysia, the top tax rate is 28.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 94.1% less likely to die during childbirth

In Zimbabwe, approximately 357.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Malaysia, 21.0 women do as of 2020.

be 76.9% less likely to die during infancy

In Zimbabwe, approximately 28.5 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 50.7% fewer children

In Zimbabwe, there are approximately 28.8 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 99.6% more likely to have access to electricity

In Zimbabwe, approximately 50% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Malaysia, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 2.8 times more likely to have internet access

In Zimbabwe, approximately 35.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Malaysia, about 97.0% do as of 2021.

be 26.8% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Zimbabwe, approximately 77% of people have improved drinking water access (98% in urban areas, and 67% 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 20.6% more on healthcare

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

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

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 Zimbabwe? See an in-depth size comparison.

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