Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Finland is 2% bigger than Malaysia.
Finland: 338,480 km² (2023) · Malaysia: 330,411 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Malaysia’s coastline is 3.7 times as long as Finland’s.
Finland: 1,250 km (2026 edition) · Malaysia: 4,675 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Malaysia’s highest peak towers 2,767 m above Finland’s.
Finland: 1,328 m (2026 edition) · Malaysia: 4,095 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Malaysia has 6.4 times as many people as Finland.
Finland: 5.65 million (2025) · Malaysia: 36 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Malaysia is 5.9 times as densely populated as Finland.
Finland: 19 per km² (2025) · Malaysia: 110 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Finland are 11.4 cm taller than in Malaysia.
Finland: 180.6 cm (2019) · Malaysia: 169.2 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Finland are 9.4 cm taller than in Malaysia.
Finland: 166.5 cm (2019) · Malaysia: 157.1 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Finland is 13 years older than in Malaysia.
Finland: 42.8 years (2023) · Malaysia: 30.1 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Malaysia have 0.3 more children on average than in Finland.
Finland: 1.25 children per woman (2024) · Malaysia: 1.54 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
24% of people in Finland are 65 or older, versus 8.0% in Malaysia.
Finland: 24.2% (2025) · Malaysia: 8% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Finland has produced 8.9 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Malaysia 0.0.
Finland: 8.9 (2025) · Malaysia: 0 (2025)
How many official languages?
Finland and Malaysia are practically level.
Finland: 2 (2026) · Malaysia: 2 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Malaysia’s economy is 49% larger than Finland’s.
Finland: $317 billion (2025) · Malaysia: $472 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Finland produces 59% more per person than Malaysia.
Finland: Int$65,885 (2025) · Malaysia: Int$41,498 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Malaysia than in Finland (Gini 13.3 points higher).
Finland: 27.4 (2023) · Malaysia: 40.7 (2021)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 9.5% in Finland, versus 3.8% in Malaysia.
Finland: 9.5% (2025) · Malaysia: 3.8% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Finland spends 2.3% of its GDP on the military, Malaysia 1.0%.
Finland: 2.3% (2024) · Malaysia: 1% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Finland’s price level (US = 100) is 2.7× Malaysia’s.
Finland: 85% (2025) · Malaysia: 32% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Finland spends 12 times as much on health per person as Malaysia.
Finland: $5,515 (2023) · Malaysia: $450 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Finland live 5.5 years longer than in Malaysia.
Finland: 82.3 years (2024) · Malaysia: 76.8 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Malaysia is 3.7 times as likely to die before turning one as in Finland.
Finland: 1.9 per 1,000 (2024) · Malaysia: 7 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Finland has 54% more doctors per person than Malaysia.
Finland: 3.6 per 1,000 (2021) · Malaysia: 2.3 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is obesity?
26% of adults in Finland are obese, versus 24% in Malaysia.
Finland: 26.2% (2024) · Malaysia: 23.6% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
21% of adults in Finland smoke, versus 17% in Malaysia.
Finland: 21.4% (2024) · Malaysia: 16.9% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Finland rate their lives 1.76 points higher than in Malaysia.
Finland: 7.76 (2025) · Malaysia: 6.01 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Finland drink 12 times as much alcohol as in Malaysia.
Finland: 9.4 litres (2023) · Malaysia: 0.8 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Finland and Malaysia are nearly identical here.
Finland: 69.4 kg (2023) · Malaysia: 69.1 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Finland has 419 kcal more food per person per day than Malaysia.
Finland: 3,346 kcal (2023) · Malaysia: 2,927 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Malaysia put in 811 more hours a year than in Finland.
Finland: 1,497 hours (2023) · Malaysia: 2,308 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Finland went to school 1.9 years longer than in Malaysia.
Finland: 13 years (2023) · Malaysia: 11.1 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Finland welcomed 2.7 times as many tourists per resident as Malaysia (2019).
Finland: 0.8 (2024) · Malaysia: 0.29 (2022)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
98% of people in Malaysia are online, versus 94% in Finland.
Finland: 94% (2024) · Malaysia: 98% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Finland and Malaysia are practically level.
Finland: 100% (2024) · Malaysia: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
77% of people in Malaysia live in cities, versus 75% in Finland.
Finland: 75% (2025) · Malaysia: 77% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Malaysia has 140 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Finland 126.
Finland: 126 (2024) · Malaysia: 140 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Finland’s railway network is 3.6 times as long as Malaysia’s.
Finland: 5,918 km (2021) · Malaysia: 1,655 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Finland fly 47% more passengers per resident than those from Malaysia.
Finland: 1.91 (2023) · Malaysia: 1.3 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 74% of Finland, but only 58% of Malaysia.
Finland: 73.7% (2023) · Malaysia: 57.7% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Malaysia emits 54% more CO₂ than someone in Finland.
Finland: 5.3 t (2024) · Malaysia: 8.2 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
56% of Finland’s electricity is renewable, versus 21% in Malaysia.
Finland: 56.5% (2025) · Malaysia: 20.7% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Malaysia carries 2.8 times as much fine dust as in Finland.
Finland: 5.4 µg/m³ (2024) · Malaysia: 15.3 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 34% more likely to be murdered in Finland than in Malaysia.
Finland: 1 per 100k (2023) · Malaysia: 0.7 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Malaysia are 3.3 times as deadly as in Finland.
Finland: 4.2 per 100k (2021) · Malaysia: 13.9 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Malaysia is on average 22.4 °C warmer than Finland.
Finland: 3.6°C (2016–2025 avg) · Malaysia: 26°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Malaysia gets 4.1 times as much rain as Finland.
Finland: 758 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Malaysia: 3,081 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Finland bigger than Malaysia?
Finland is larger. Finland is 2% bigger than Malaysia.
Which has more people, Finland or Malaysia?
Malaysia has 6.4 times as many people as Finland (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Finland or Malaysia?
People in Finland live 5.5 years longer than in Malaysia. Life expectancy at birth is 82.3 years in Finland and 76.8 in Malaysia.
Are people taller in Finland or Malaysia?
Men in Finland are 11.4 cm taller than in Malaysia (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
