Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Denmark fits inside Malaysia 7.7 times
Denmark: 42,920 km² (2024) · Malaysia: 330,534 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Denmark’s coastline is 56% longer than Malaysia’s
Denmark: 7,314 km (2026 edition) · Malaysia: 4,675 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Malaysia’s highest peak towers 3,924 m above Denmark’s
Denmark: 171 m (2026 edition) · Malaysia: 4,095 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 65% of Denmark, versus 25% of Malaysia
Denmark: 65.1% (2024) · Malaysia: 24.8% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Malaysia has 6 times as many people as Denmark
Denmark: 6.01 million (2025) · Malaysia: 36 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Denmark is 37% more densely populated than Malaysia
Denmark: 150 per km² (2025) · Malaysia: 110 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Denmark are 12.7 cm taller than in Malaysia
Denmark: 181.9 cm (2019) · Malaysia: 169.2 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Denmark are 12.4 cm taller than in Malaysia
Denmark: 169.5 cm (2019) · Malaysia: 157.1 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Denmark is 11 years older than in Malaysia
Denmark: 41.2 years (2023) · Malaysia: 30.1 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Malaysia have 0.1 more children on average than in Denmark
Denmark: 1.47 children per woman (2024) · Malaysia: 1.54 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
21% of people in Denmark are 65 or older, versus 8.0% in Malaysia
Denmark: 21.1% (2025) · Malaysia: 8% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Denmark hosts 3.8 times as many refugees per resident as Malaysia
Denmark: 15.8 per 1,000 (2025) · Malaysia: 4.2 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Denmark has produced 20.0 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Malaysia none
Denmark: 20 (2026) · Malaysia: 0 (2026)
How many official languages?
Malaysia has 2 official languages, Denmark 1
Denmark: 1 (2026) · Malaysia: 2 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Malaysia’s economy is 2% larger than Denmark’s
Denmark: $463 billion (2025) · Malaysia: $472 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Denmark produces 2 times as much per person as Malaysia
Denmark: Int$83,218 (2025) · Malaysia: Int$41,498 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Malaysia than in Denmark (Gini 10.8 points higher)
Denmark: 29.9 (2023) · Malaysia: 40.7 (2021)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
Denmark and Malaysia are practically level
Denmark: 0.4% (2023) · Malaysia: 0% (2021)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 5.5% in Denmark, versus 3.8% in Malaysia
Denmark: 5.5% (2025) · Malaysia: 3.8% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Denmark spends 3.3% of its GDP on the military, Malaysia 1.0%
Denmark: 3.3% (2025) · Malaysia: 1% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Denmark’s central government collects 33% of GDP in tax, Malaysia’s 12%
Denmark: 33.4% (2024) · Malaysia: 12.4% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Denmark’s price level (US = 100) is 2.9× Malaysia’s
Denmark: 92% (2025) · Malaysia: 32% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Denmark spends 15 times as much on health per person as Malaysia
Denmark: $6,745 (2024) · Malaysia: $450 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Denmark live 5.4 years longer than in Malaysia
Denmark: 82.3 years (2024) · Malaysia: 76.8 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Malaysia is 2 times as likely to die before turning one as in Denmark
Denmark: 3.5 per 1,000 (2024) · Malaysia: 7 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Denmark has 92% more doctors per person than Malaysia
Denmark: 4.5 per 1,000 (2021) · Malaysia: 2.3 per 1,000 (2023)
How many hospital beds are there?
Denmark has 24% more hospital beds per person than Malaysia
Denmark: 2.4 per 1,000 (2023) · Malaysia: 2 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Denmark is 72% higher than in Malaysia
Denmark: 8.6 per 100k (2023) · Malaysia: 5 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
24% of adults in Malaysia are obese, versus 15% in Denmark
Denmark: 15.2% (2024) · Malaysia: 23.6% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
17% of adults in Malaysia smoke, versus 16% in Denmark
Denmark: 15.7% (2024) · Malaysia: 16.9% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Denmark rate their lives 1.53 points higher than in Malaysia
Denmark: 7.54 (2025) · Malaysia: 6.01 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Denmark drink 12 times as much alcohol as in Malaysia
Denmark: 9.5 litres (2023) · Malaysia: 0.8 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Denmark has 47% more meat per person than Malaysia
Denmark: 101.3 kg (2023) · Malaysia: 69.1 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Denmark has 807 kcal more food per person per day than Malaysia
Denmark: 3,734 kcal (2023) · Malaysia: 2,927 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Malaysia put in 928 more hours a year than in Denmark
Denmark: 1,380 hours (2023) · Malaysia: 2,308 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Denmark went to school 1.9 years longer than in Malaysia
Denmark: 13 years (2023) · Malaysia: 11.1 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Denmark welcomed 8.3 times as many tourists per resident as Malaysia (2019)
Denmark: 2.4 (2022) · Malaysia: 0.29 (2022)
How many World Heritage sites?
Denmark has 7 more World Heritage sites than Malaysia (13 against 6)
Denmark: 13 (2026) · Malaysia: 6 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Denmark has won 216 Olympic medals, Malaysia 15
Denmark: 216 (2026 edition) · Malaysia: 15 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
100% of people in Denmark are online, versus 98% in Malaysia
Denmark: 100% (2024) · Malaysia: 98% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in Denmark is 17% faster than in Malaysia
Denmark: 314 Mbps (2026) · Malaysia: 269 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Denmark and Malaysia are practically level
Denmark: 100% (2024) · Malaysia: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
89% of people in Denmark live in cities, versus 77% in Malaysia
Denmark: 89% (2025) · Malaysia: 77% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Malaysia has 140 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Denmark 127
Denmark: 127 (2024) · Malaysia: 140 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Denmark’s railway network is 62% longer than Malaysia’s
Denmark: 2,682 km (2020) · Malaysia: 1,655 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Denmark: no data · Malaysia: 1.3 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 58% of Malaysia, but only 16% of Denmark
Denmark: 16% (2024) · Malaysia: 57.7% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Malaysia emits 72% more CO₂ than someone in Denmark
Denmark: 4.7 t (2024) · Malaysia: 8.2 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
91% of Denmark’s electricity is renewable, versus 21% in Malaysia
Denmark: 91.2% (2025) · Malaysia: 20.7% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Malaysia carries 70% more fine dust than in Denmark
Denmark: 9 µg/m³ (2024) · Malaysia: 15.3 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 14% more likely to be murdered in Denmark than in Malaysia
Denmark: 0.8 per 100k (2023) · Malaysia: 0.7 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Malaysia are 3.9 times as deadly as in Denmark
Denmark: 4.2 per 100k (2023) · Malaysia: 16.2 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Malaysia is on average 16.4 °C warmer than Denmark
Denmark: 9.6°C (2016–2025 avg) · Malaysia: 26°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Malaysia gets 3.6 times as much rain as Denmark
Denmark: 845 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Malaysia: 3,081 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Denmark bigger than Malaysia?
Malaysia is larger. Denmark fits inside Malaysia 7.7 times.
Which has more people, Denmark or Malaysia?
Malaysia has 6 times as many people as Denmark (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Denmark or Malaysia?
People in Denmark live 5.4 years longer than in Malaysia. Life expectancy at birth is 82.3 years in Denmark and 76.8 in Malaysia.
Are people taller in Denmark or Malaysia?
Men in Denmark are 12.7 cm taller than in Malaysia (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
