Malaysia vs Taiwan: Compare Statistics

Side-by-side comparison of 104 key metrics across economy, population, geography, and more — latest data through 2026.

Summary

Malaysia has 58% more people than Taiwan (36.4 million vs 23.01 million).

Comparing Malaysia and Taiwan: Malaysia leads on Oil Consumption (561,000) against Taiwan (1.00); Taiwan leads on Number of AI Patents Filed (670 patents) against Malaysia (5 patents); Malaysia leads on Population Growth Rate (0.97 %) against Taiwan (0.02 %). Across 104 compared metrics, Malaysia wins on 43 and Taiwan wins on 49.

  • Communications: 5 metrics compared
  • Economy: 42 metrics compared
  • Environment: 4 metrics compared
  • Geography: 3 metrics compared
  • Government: 9 metrics compared
  • Health: 3 metrics compared
  • Military and Security: 2 metrics compared
  • People and Society: 31 metrics compared
  • Transportation: 3 metrics compared
  • Travel and Tourism: 1 metric compared
  • Other: 1 metric compared

Communications

5 metrics
Metric🇲🇾 Malaysia🇹🇼 TaiwanShare
Internet Userspercent of population: 98% (2023 est.)percent of population: 90% (2021 est.)
Press Freedom Index Score56.09 points77.04 points★
Radios10.916★
Televisions10.8★8.8
Waterways7,296NA

Economy

42 metrics
Metric🇲🇾 Malaysia🇹🇼 TaiwanShare
Central Bank Discount Rate (%)3 %★1.38 %
Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate (%)4.61 %★2.63 %
Current Health Expenditure (% of GDP)3.8 % of GDPNA
Ease of Doing Business Index83.384.9★
Electricity Consumption136.9237.4★
Electricity Exports3★0
Electricity from Fossil Fuels7879★
Electricity from Hydroelectric Plants18★4
Electricity from Nuclear Fuels011★
Electricity from Other Renewables46★
Electricity Imports33★0
Electricity Installed Capacity3349.52★
Electricity Production148.3246.1★
Energy Consumption per Capita (USD)113.16 USD per capita206.1 USD per capita★
Gini Index Coefficient40.7★33.9
Gross Fixed Investment25.2★20.1
Gross National Saving28.534.9★
Industrial Production Growth Rate (%)1.43 %3.9 %★
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)1.8 %★2.2 %
Military Expenditures (% of GDP)1 % of GDP2.4 % of GDP★
Natural Gas Consumption30.44★22.45
Natural Gas Exports38.23★0
Natural Gas Imports2.822.14★
Natural Gas Production69.49237.9★
Natural Gas Proved Reserves1.186.23★
Number of AI Patents Filed5 patents670 patents★
Oil Consumption561,000★1
Oil Exports644,900★303,000
Oil Imports355,300876,300★
Oil Production664,800★26,680
Oil Proved Reserves4★2.38
Population Below Poverty Line5.6 people1.5 people★
Public Debt64.335.7★
Real GDP Growth Rate (USD)5.1 USD★1.28 USD
Refined Petroleum Products Consumption704,000962,400★
Refined Petroleum Products Exports208,400349,600★
Refined Petroleum Products Imports304,600418,300★
Refined Petroleum Products Production528,300924,000★
Share of population in poverty ($3 a day)0.010★
Taxes and Other Revenues11.6516★
Total Number of Billionaires1966★
Unemployment Rate3.9 %3.4 %★

Environment

4 metrics
Metric🇲🇾 Malaysia🇹🇼 TaiwanShare
Annual CO₂ Emissions Growth (abs)13.93M-4.78M★
Carbon Dioxide Emissions260.01★289.11
Population Distributiona highly uneven distribution, with over 80% of the population residing on the Malay Peninsuladistribution exhibits a peripheral coastal settlement pattern, with the largest populations on the north and west coasts
Total Renewable Water Resources580★67

Geography

3 metrics
Metric🇲🇾 Malaysia🇹🇼 TaiwanShare
Percentage of land area by degree of urbanization4.11 %17.76 %★
Coastline Length (km)4,675 km★1,566.3 km
Irrigated Land4,420★3,820

Government

9 metrics
Metric🇲🇾 Malaysia🇹🇼 TaiwanShare
Rule of Law Index by Country67.87 %89.15 %★
Administrative Divisions13includes main island of Taiwan, plus smaller islands nearby and off coast of China's Fujian Province; Taiwan is divided into 13 counties ( xian , singular and plural), 3 cities ( shi , singular and plural), and 6 special municipalities directly under the
Corruption Perception Index50 index★67 index
Corruption Perceptions Index Score50 index67 index★
LGBT Rights Index Score-2.465.43★
Political Stability Index51 index74 index★
Prison Population Rate244 per 100,000★270 per 100,000
Public Sector Corruption Perception50★67
Suffrage Participation Rate1820★

Health

3 metrics
Metric🇲🇾 Malaysia🇹🇼 TaiwanShare
HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate0.3 %NA
People Living With HIV/AIDS92,000NA
Underweight Children Under 514.1NA

Military and Security

2 metrics
Metric🇲🇾 Malaysia🇹🇼 TaiwanShare
Active Military Personnel113,000 personnel169,000 personnel★
Military Expenditure (% of GDP)1.04 %★2.1 %

People and Society

31 metrics
Metric🇲🇾 Malaysia🇹🇼 TaiwanShare
Currently married (Percent)58.88 %★45.56 %
Life expectancy at birth80.87 years83.69 years★
Median age of population31.44 years45.4 years★
Population Change428,622.9 persons★-72,305.8 persons
Population density110.8 per sq. km★649.4 per sq. km
Total population36.40M persons★23.01M persons
Academic Freedom Index0.290.83★
Average Female Breast Size by Country: Worldwide Data & RankingsAAAA
Birth Rate (%)14.05 %★7.22 %
Contraceptive Prevalence Rate52.2 %75.2 %★
Death Rate (%)5.8 %★8.18 %
Education Expenditure (% of GDP)3.9 % of GDPNA
Female population of reproductive age9.69M persons★5.06M persons
Global Average Sex Ratio at Birth106.37 male/female106.81 male/female★
Human Development Index0.480.72★
Labor Force Participation Rate17.31★11.5
Major Urban Areas Population8.62 people★4.5 people
Mean Male Height (cm)167.88174.52★
Mean Years of Schooling11.96 years12.76 years★
Military Manpower at Military Age21★19
Military Service Age and Obligation17men 18-36 years of age may volunteer or must complete 12 months of compulsory military service; civil service can be substituted for military service in some cases; women can volunteer (2025) note: in January 2024, Taiwan extended compulsory service from
Old-Age Dependency Ratio10.6 %★26.25 %
Percentage of population by degree of urbanization83.21 %94.63 %★
Physician Density1.54 people/sq kmNA
Population Growth Rate0.97 %★0.02 %
Total deaths179,998.3 persons★212,064.2 persons
Total demand for family planning (Percent)42.17 %56.09 %★
Total fertility rate1.53 per woman★0.82 per woman
Total net-migration162,673.4 persons★24,561.2 persons
Under-five mortality rate5.53 per live births4.24 per live births★
Voting Age Population53.4 millions74.73 millions★

Transportation

3 metrics
Metric🇲🇾 Malaysia🇹🇼 TaiwanShare
Air Travel Trips Per Capita (PPP)1.58★1.31
Airports100★57
Heliports2456★

Travel and Tourism

1 metric
Metric🇲🇾 Malaysia🇹🇼 TaiwanShare
Tourism Receipts per Capita7.89B USD★3.38B USD

Other

1 metric
Metric🇲🇾 Malaysia🇹🇼 TaiwanShare
Current Bank Rate2.75 %★2 %

Frequently Asked Questions About Malaysia vs Taiwan

Which has a larger population, Malaysia or Taiwan?▾

Malaysia. Malaysia has 58% more people than Taiwan (36.4 million vs 23.01 million). Data for 2026.

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