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Malaysia vs South Korea: Compare Statistics

Side-by-side comparison of 122 key metrics across economy, population, geography, and more — latest data through 2026.

Malaysia
mys
Leads on 49 of 122 metrics
South Korea
kor
Leads on 66 of 122 metrics

Summary

Comparing Malaysia and South Korea: Malaysia leads on Refined Petroleum Products Consumption (704,000) against South Korea (2.58); Malaysia leads on Oil Consumption (561,000) against South Korea (2.25); Malaysia leads on Refined Petroleum Products Production (528,300) against South Korea (3.30). Across 122 compared metrics, Malaysia wins on 49 and South Korea wins on 66.

  • Communications: 7 metrics compared
  • Economy: 50 metrics compared
  • Environment: 6 metrics compared
  • Geography: 6 metrics compared
  • Government: 5 metrics compared
  • Health: 11 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 KoreaShare
Internet Penetration Rate (%)98.02 %★97.9 %
Internet Usage Rate by Country (% of Population)98.02 %★97.9 %
Internet Userspercent of population: 98% (2023 est.)percent of population: 97% (2023 est.)
Press Freedom Index Score56.09 points64.06 points★
Radios10.947.5★
Televisions10.815.9★
Waterways7,200★1,600

Economy

50 metrics
Metric🇲🇾 Malaysia🇰🇷 South KoreaShare
Agriculture Value Added as a Share of GDP by Country47.38B $★30.14B $
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by Country in Current US Dollars466.53B $1.91T $★
AI Investment (% of GDP)21.95 %29.97 %★
Central Bank Discount Rate (%)3 %★1.5 %
Coal Revenue0.02★0
Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate (%)4.61 %★3.48 %
Current Health Expenditure (% of GDP)3.8 % of GDP7.6 % of GDP★
Ease of Doing Business Index83.393.4★
Electricity Consumption136.9507.6★
Electricity Exports3★0
Electricity from Fossil Fuels78★70
Electricity from Hydroelectric Plants18★2
Electricity from Nuclear Fuels021★
Electricity from Other Renewables48★
Electricity Imports33★0
Electricity Installed Capacity33111.2★
Electricity Production148.3526★
Energy Consumption per Capita (USD)113.16 USD per capita234.67 USD per capita★
Gini Index Coefficient40.7★32.9
Gross Fixed Investment25.227.4★
Gross National Saving28.536.6★
Industrial Production Growth Rate (%)4.9 %★1.1 %
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)1.8 %★2.3 %
Military Expenditures (% of GDP)1 % of GDP2.3 % of GDP★
Natural Gas Consumption30.4445.28★
Natural Gas Exports38.23★0
Natural Gas Imports2.848.65★
Natural Gas Production69.49339.8★
Natural Gas Proved Reserves1.187.08★
Number of AI Patents Filed5 patents9,682 patents★
Oil Consumption561,000★2.25
Oil Exports644,900907,100★
Oil Imports355,300★3.07
Oil Production664,800★48,400
Oil Proved Reserves4★0
Population Below Poverty Line6.2 people★14.4 people
Public Debt64.352.3★
Real GDP Growth Rate (USD)5.1 USD★1.4 USD
Refined Petroleum Products Consumption704,000★2.58
Refined Petroleum Products Exports208,400★1.4
Refined Petroleum Products Imports304,600908,800★
Refined Petroleum Products Production528,300★3.3
Remittances0.40.4
Revenue from Forest Resources1.57★0.01
Robotics Research Funding1.01 USD4.85 USD★
Share of population in poverty ($3 a day)0.01★0.25
Taxes and Other Revenues12.615.7★
Top Exporting Countries301.22B USD831.89B USD★
Unemployment Rate3.9 %2.7 %★
Youth Labor Force Participation Rate66.12 %64.35 %★

Environment

6 metrics
Metric🇲🇾 Malaysia🇰🇷 South KoreaShare
Annual CO₂ Emissions Growth (abs)13.93M-5.50M★
Carbon Dioxide Emissions260.01★644.23
Population Distributiona highly uneven distribution, with over 80% of the population residing on the Malay Peninsulathe population is primarily concentrated in the lowland areas, where density is high; Gyeonggi Province in the northwest, which surrounds the capital of Seoul and contains the port of Incheon, is the most densely populated province; Gangwon in the northea
Protected Land Area for Adaptation13.3 sq km17.76 sq km★
Total Renewable Groundwater Resources by Country64 Cubic meters per year★13.3 Cubic meters per year
Total Renewable Water Resources580★69.7

Geography

6 metrics
Metric🇲🇾 Malaysia🇰🇷 South KoreaShare
Percentage of land area by degree of urbanization4.11 %11.86 %★
Above-Ground Biomass in Forest (tonnes/ha)209.87★131.69
Agricultural land85,710 sq. km★15,174 sq. km
Coastline Length (km)4,675 km★2,413 km
Dam capacity per capita611.58 cubic meters per inhabitant★362.21 cubic meters per inhabitant
Irrigated Land4,4207,780★

Government

5 metrics
Metric🇲🇾 Malaysia🇰🇷 South KoreaShare
Rule of Law Index by Country67.87 %85.98 %★
Administrative Divisions13★9
Independence31★15
Political Stability Index51 index68 index★
Suffrage Participation Rate1818

Health

11 metrics
Metric🇲🇾 Malaysia🇰🇷 South KoreaShare
Access to Safe Drinking Water94.7 %99.28 %★
Diabetes Deaths Per 100,000 (Age-Std)13.019.92★
Diabetes Prevalence (% of Population)21.1★9.6
Health Care Spending per Capita1,703.34 USD5,766.77 USD★
Health Expenditure (% of GDP)4.4 % of GDP9.7 % of GDP★
HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate0.3 %NA
Hospital Bed Density2 people/sq km12.8 people/sq km★
Maternal Mortality Ratio (%)26 %4 %★
Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate (%)15.6 %4.7 %★
People Living With HIV/AIDS92,000NA
Underweight Children Under 515.30.4★

Military and Security

1 metric
Metric🇲🇾 Malaysia🇰🇷 South KoreaShare
Total Armed Forces Personnel (PPP)136,000569,000★

People and Society

30 metrics
Metric🇲🇾 Malaysia🇰🇷 South KoreaShare
Currently married (Percent)58.88 %★42.12 %
Human Capital Index0.650.8★
Life expectancy at birth80.87 years87.65 years★
Median age of population31.44 years46.18 years★
Population Change428,622.9 persons★-34,023.3 persons
Population density110.8 per sq. km★521.76 per sq. km
Total population36.40M persons51.62M persons★
Academic Freedom Index0.290.85★
Average Female Breast Size by Country: Worldwide Data & RankingsAAAA-A★
Birth Rate (%)14.05 %★4.29 %
Contraceptive Prevalence Rate52.2 %82.3 %★
Death Rate (%)5.8 %★6.94 %
Education Expenditure (% of GDP)3.5 % of GDP5.8 % of GDP★
Female population of reproductive age9.69M persons10.86M persons★
Labor Force Participation Rate18.2629.71★
Learning-adjusted years of school9.72 years11.74 years★
Length of paid parental leave for mother0 days365 days★
Major Urban Areas Population8.62 people9.99 people★
Mean Male Height (cm)167.88174.92★
Military Manpower at Military Age21★18
Military Service Age and Obligation1718★
Percentage of population by degree of urbanization83.21 %90.48 %★
Physician Density2.34 people/sq km2.61 people/sq km★
Population Growth Rate0.97 %★-0.09 %
Population living in slums0.2 %5.46 %★
Total deaths179,998.3 persons★375,161.5 persons
Total demand for family planning (Percent)42.17 %54.27 %★
Total fertility rate1.53 per woman★0.72 per woman
Total net-migration162,673.4 persons★106,057.5 persons
Under-five mortality rate5.53 per live births2.38 per live births★

Transportation

5 metrics
Metric🇲🇾 Malaysia🇰🇷 South KoreaShare
Air Travel Trips Per Capita (PPP)1.58★1.32
Airports100★92
Annual Human Space Visits (Total)00
Civil Air Travel5393★
Heliports241,280★

Other

1 metric
Metric🇲🇾 Malaysia🇰🇷 South KoreaShare
Current Bank Rate2.75 %★2.5 %

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