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Malaysia vs South Africa: Compare Statistics

Side-by-side comparison of 121 key metrics across economy, population, geography, and more — latest data through 2026.

Malaysia
mys
Leads on 65 of 121 metrics
South Africa
zaf
Leads on 48 of 121 metrics

Summary

Comparing Malaysia and South Africa: South Africa leads on People Living With HIV/AIDS (7.80) against Malaysia (92,000); Malaysia leads on Apple Import Volume (101.62 million tonnes) against South Africa (48,832 tonnes); South Africa leads on Coal Revenue (2.40) against Malaysia (0.02). Across 121 compared metrics, Malaysia wins on 65 and South Africa wins on 48.

  • Communications: 7 metrics compared
  • Economy: 48 metrics compared
  • Environment: 7 metrics compared
  • Geography: 6 metrics compared
  • Government: 4 metrics compared
  • Health: 12 metrics compared
  • Military and Security: 1 metric compared
  • People and Society: 30 metrics compared
  • Transportation: 5 metrics compared
  • Other: 1 metric compared

Communications

7 metrics
Metric🇲🇾 Malaysia🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Internet Penetration Rate (%)98.02 %★78.36 %
Internet Usage Rate by Country (% of Population)97.69 %★75.66 %
Internet Userspercent of population: 98% (2023 est.)percent of population: 76% (2023 est.)
Press Freedom Index Score56.09 points75.71 points★
Radios10.917★
Televisions10.8★6
Waterways7,296NA

Economy

48 metrics
Metric🇲🇾 Malaysia🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Agriculture Value Added as a Share of GDP by Country47.38B $★14.21B $
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by Country in Current US Dollars466.53B $★424.75B $
Apple Import Volume101.62M tonnes★48,832 tonnes
Central Bank Discount Rate (%)3 %5.75 %★
Coal Revenue0.022.4★
Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate (%)4.61 %10.38 %★
Current Health Expenditure (% of GDP)3.8 % of GDP8.3 % of GDP★
Ease of Doing Business Index83.3★59.6
Electricity Consumption136.9207.1★
Electricity Exports316.55★
Electricity from Fossil Fuels7885★
Electricity from Hydroelectric Plants18★1
Electricity from Nuclear Fuels04★
Electricity from Other Renewables410★
Electricity Imports33★10.56
Electricity Installed Capacity3350.02★
Electricity Production148.3234.5★
Energy Consumption per Capita (USD)113.16 USD per capita★86.2 USD per capita
Gini Index Coefficient40.763★
Gross Fixed Investment25.2★19.5
Gross National Saving28.5★16.1
Industrial Production Growth Rate (%)4.9 %★-0.4 %
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)1.8 %★4.4 %
Military Expenditures (% of GDP)1 % of GDP★0.7 % of GDP
Natural Gas Consumption30.44★5.07
Natural Gas Exports38.23★0
Natural Gas Imports2.84.16★
Natural Gas Production69.49906.1★
Natural Gas Proved Reserves1.18★0
Number of AI Patents Filed5 patents22 patents★
Oil Consumption561,000★553,000
Oil Exports644,900★54,930
Oil Imports355,300521,400★
Oil Production664,800★192,100
Oil Proved Reserves415★
Population Below Poverty Line6.2 people★55.5 people
Public Debt64.3★76.2
Real GDP Growth Rate (USD)5.1 USD★0.6 USD
Refined Petroleum Products Consumption704,000★621,000
Refined Petroleum Products Exports208,400★105,600
Refined Petroleum Products Imports304,600★195,200
Refined Petroleum Products Production528,300★487,100
Remittances0.4★0.2
Share of population in poverty ($3 a day)1.48★30.28
Taxes and Other Revenues12.626★
Top Exporting Countries301.22B USD★127.53B USD
Unemployment Rate3.9 %★33.2 %
Youth Labor Force Participation Rate66.12 %55.58 %★

Environment

7 metrics
Metric🇲🇾 Malaysia🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Annual CO₂ Emissions Growth (abs)13.93M3.23M★
Carbon Dioxide Emissions260.01★446.7
Continental Shelf200200
Population Distributiona highly uneven distribution, with over 80% of the population residing on the Malay Peninsulathe population is concentrated along the southern and southeastern coast, and inland around Pretoria; the eastern half of the country is more densely populated than the west, as shown in this population distribution map
Protected Land Area for Adaptation13.3 sq km★9.88 sq km
Total Renewable Groundwater Resources by Country64 Cubic meters per year★4.8 Cubic meters per year
Total Renewable Water Resources580★51.35

Geography

6 metrics
Metric🇲🇾 Malaysia🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Percentage of land area by degree of urbanization4.11 %★1.94 %
Above-Ground Biomass in Forest (tonnes/ha)209.87★85.66
Agricultural land85,710 sq. km963,410 sq. km★
Coastline Length (km)4,675 km★2,798 km
Dam capacity per capita611.58 cubic meters per inhabitant★464.7 cubic meters per inhabitant
Irrigated Land4,42016,700★

Government

4 metrics
Metric🇲🇾 Malaysia🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Rule of Law Index by Country67.87 %★61.59 %
Administrative Divisions13★9
Independence3131
Suffrage Participation Rate1818

Health

12 metrics
Metric🇲🇾 Malaysia🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Access to Safe Drinking Water94.7 %★68.01 %
Diabetes Deaths Per 100,000 (Age-Std)13.01★102.05
Diabetes Prevalence (% of Population)21.1★7.2
Health Care Spending per Capita1,703.34 USD★1,541.18 USD
Health Expenditure (% of GDP)4.4 % of GDP8.3 % of GDP★
HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate0.3 %★18.3 %
Hospital Bed Density1.9 people/sq km2.3 people/sq km★
Maternal Mortality Ratio (%)26 %★118 %
Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate (%)15.6 %★28.3 %
People Living With HIV/AIDS92,0007.8★
Psychiatrist Density Per 100,000 People1 per 100,000 people2 per 100,000 people★
Underweight Children Under 515.34.9★

Military and Security

1 metric
Metric🇲🇾 Malaysia🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Total Armed Forces Personnel (PPP)136,000★89,000

People and Society

30 metrics
Metric🇲🇾 Malaysia🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Currently married (Percent)58.88 %★33.25 %
Human Capital Index0.65★0.42
Life expectancy at birth80.87 years★71.98 years
Median age of population31.44 years★29 years
Population Change428,622.9 persons673,269.7 persons★
Population density110.8 per sq. km53.74 per sq. km★
Total population36.40M persons65.49M persons★
Academic Freedom Index0.290.83★
Average Female Breast Size by Country: Worldwide Data & RankingsAA★A
Birth Rate (%)14.05 %17.21 %★
Contraceptive Prevalence Rate52.2 %54.6 %★
Death Rate (%)5.8 %★6.56 %
Education Expenditure (% of GDP)3.5 % of GDP6 % of GDP★
Female population of reproductive age9.69M persons18.20M persons★
Labor Force Participation Rate18.2627.77★
Learning-adjusted years of school9.72 years★4.88 years
Length of paid parental leave for mother0 days0 days
Major Urban Areas Population8.62 people10.32 people★
Mean Male Height (cm)167.88★166.68
Military Manpower at Military Age21★18
Military Service Age and Obligation1718★
Percentage of population by degree of urbanization83.21 %★79.63 %
Physician Density2.34 people/sq km★0.79 people/sq km
Population Growth Rate0.97 %1.06 %★
Population living in slums0.2 %23.64 %★
Total deaths179,998.3 persons★540,582.7 persons
Total demand for family planning (Percent)42.17 %62.02 %★
Total fertility rate1.53 per woman2.17 per woman★
Total net-migration162,673.4 persons★39,599.6 persons
Under-five mortality rate5.53 per live births★28.89 per live births

Transportation

5 metrics
Metric🇲🇾 Malaysia🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Air Travel Trips Per Capita (PPP)1.58★0.37
Airports100573★
Annual Human Space Visits (Total)00
Civil Air Travel5390★
Heliports2449★

Other

1 metric
Metric🇲🇾 Malaysia🇿🇦 South AfricaShare
Current Bank Rate2.75 %7 %★

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