Malaysia vs South Korea: Compare Statistics
Side-by-side comparison of 179 key metrics across economy, population, geography, and more ā latest data through 2026.
Summary
South Korea has 42% more people than Malaysia (51.62 million vs 36.4 million). South Korea's economy is 4.1 times the size of Malaysia's ($1.91 trillion vs $466.53 billion GDP).
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 179 compared metrics, Malaysia wins on 70 and South Korea wins on 102.
- Communications: 9 metrics compared
- Economy: 68 metrics compared
- Environment: 11 metrics compared
- Geography: 7 metrics compared
- Government: 10 metrics compared
- Health: 23 metrics compared
- Military and Security: 3 metrics compared
- People and Society: 41 metrics compared
- Transportation: 5 metrics compared
- Travel and Tourism: 1 metric compared
- Other: 1 metric compared
Communications
9 metrics| Metric | š²š¾ Malaysia | š°š· South Korea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed Broadband Penetration | 13.55 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants | 47.8 subscriptions per 100 inhabitantsā | |
| Internet Penetration Rate (%) | 98.02 %ā | 97.9 % | |
| Internet Usage Rate by Country (% of Population) | 98.02 %ā | 97.9 % | |
| Internet Users | percent of population: 98% (2023 est.) | percent of population: 97% (2023 est.) | |
| Mobile Internet Speed | 13.55 Mbps | 47.8 Mbpsā | |
| Press Freedom Index Score | 56.09 points | 64.06 pointsā | |
| Radios | 10.9 | 47.5ā | |
| Televisions | 10.8 | 15.9ā | |
| Waterways | 7,200ā | 1,600 |
Economy
68 metricsEnvironment
11 metrics| Metric | š²š¾ Malaysia | š°š· South Korea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual COā Emissions Growth (abs) | 13.93M | -5.50Mā | |
| Annual Forest Area Change Rate | -60,000 % | -3,774.02 %ā | |
| Average Annual Temperature | 25.87 Ā°Cā | 13.4 Ā°C | |
| Carbon Dioxide Emissions | 260.01ā | 644.23 | |
| Global Precipitation Distribution | 3,150.09 mmā | 1,270.38 mm | |
| Population Distribution | a highly uneven distribution, with over 80% of the population residing on the Malay Peninsula | the 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 Adaptation | 13.3 sq km | 17.76 sq kmā | |
| Protected Land Area Percentage | 13.3 % | 17.7 %ā | |
| Total Renewable Groundwater Resources by Country | 64 Cubic meters per yearā | 13.3 Cubic meters per year | |
| Total Renewable Water Resources | 580ā | 69.7 | |
| Total Threatened Mammal Species | 80 species | 12 speciesā |
Geography
7 metrics| Metric | š²š¾ Malaysia | š°š· South Korea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of land area by degree of urbanization | 4.11 % | 11.86 %ā | |
| Above-Ground Biomass in Forest (tonnes/ha) | 209.87ā | 131.69 | |
| Agricultural land | 85,710 sq. kmā | 15,174 sq. km | |
| Airports per 1,000 Sq Km | 328,550ā | 97,600 | |
| Coastline Length (km) | 4,675 kmā | 2,413 km | |
| Dam capacity per capita | 611.58 cubic meters per inhabitantā | 362.21 cubic meters per inhabitant | |
| Irrigated Land | 4,420 | 7,780ā |
Government
10 metrics| Metric | š²š¾ Malaysia | š°š· South Korea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rule of Law Index by Country | 67.87 % | 85.98 %ā | |
| Administrative Divisions | 13ā | 9 | |
| Corruption Perception Index | 50 indexā | 64 index | |
| Corruption Perceptions Index Score | 50 index | 64 indexā | |
| Independence | 31ā | 15 | |
| LGBT Rights Index Score | -2.46 | 2.94ā | |
| Political Stability Index | 51 index | 68 indexā | |
| Prison Population Rate | 206 per 100,000 | 105 per 100,000ā | |
| Public Sector Corruption Perception | 50ā | 64 | |
| Suffrage Participation Rate | 18 | 18 |
Health
23 metricsMilitary and Security
3 metrics| Metric | š²š¾ Malaysia | š°š· South Korea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Military Personnel | 113,000 personnel | 555,000 personnelā | |
| Military Expenditure (% of GDP) | 1.04 %ā | 2.6 % | |
| Total Armed Forces Personnel (PPP) | 136,000 | 569,000ā |
People and Society
41 metricsTransportation
5 metrics| Metric | š²š¾ Malaysia | š°š· South Korea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Travel Trips Per Capita (PPP) | 1.58ā | 1.32 | |
| Airports | 100ā | 92 | |
| Annual Human Space Visits (Total) | 0 | 0 | |
| Civil Air Travel | 53 | 93ā | |
| Heliports | 24 | 1,280ā |
Travel and Tourism
1 metric| Metric | š²š¾ Malaysia | š°š· South Korea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tourism Receipts per Capita | 24.59B USDā | 22.00B USD |
Other
1 metric| Metric | š²š¾ Malaysia | š°š· South Korea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Bank Rate | 2.75 %ā | 2.5 % |
Frequently Asked Questions About Malaysia vs South Korea
Which has a larger population, Malaysia or South Korea?ā¾
South Korea. South Korea has 42% more people than Malaysia (51.62 million vs 36.4 million). Data for 2026.
Which has a bigger economy, Malaysia or South Korea?ā¾
South Korea. South Korea's economy is 4.1 times the size of Malaysia's ($1.91 trillion vs $466.53 billion GDP). Data for 2026.
Which is richer per person, Malaysia or South Korea?ā¾
South Korea is richer per person: GDP per capita is about $36,950 in South Korea vs $12,818 in Malaysia (2026 GDP in current US dollars divided by population).