Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Germany is 8% bigger than Malaysia.
Germany: 357,680 km² (2023) · Malaysia: 330,411 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Malaysia’s coastline is 2 times as long as Germany’s.
Germany: 2,389 km (2026 edition) · Malaysia: 4,675 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Malaysia’s highest peak towers 1,132 m above Germany’s.
Germany: 2,963 m (2026 edition) · Malaysia: 4,095 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Germany has 2.3 times as many people as Malaysia.
Germany: 83.5 million (2025) · Malaysia: 36 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Germany is 2.2 times as densely populated as Malaysia.
Germany: 239 per km² (2025) · Malaysia: 110 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Germany are 11.1 cm taller than in Malaysia.
Germany: 180.3 cm (2019) · Malaysia: 169.2 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Germany are 9.1 cm taller than in Malaysia.
Germany: 166.2 cm (2019) · Malaysia: 157.1 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Germany is 15 years older than in Malaysia.
Germany: 45.1 years (2023) · Malaysia: 30.1 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Malaysia have 0.2 more children on average than in Germany.
Germany: 1.36 children per woman (2024) · Malaysia: 1.54 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
24% of people in Germany are 65 or older, versus 8.0% in Malaysia.
Germany: 23.7% (2025) · Malaysia: 8% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Germany has produced 10.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Malaysia 0.0.
Germany: 10.1 (2025) · Malaysia: 0 (2025)
How many official languages?
Malaysia has 2 official languages, Germany 1.
Germany: 1 (2026) · Malaysia: 2 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Germany’s economy is 11 times the size of Malaysia’s.
Germany: $5.05 trillion (2025) · Malaysia: $472 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Germany produces 82% more per person than Malaysia.
Germany: Int$75,407 (2025) · Malaysia: Int$41,498 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Malaysia than in Germany (Gini 7 points higher).
Germany: 33.7 (2022) · Malaysia: 40.7 (2021)
How many people are looking for work?
Malaysia and Germany are practically level.
Germany: 3.7% (2025) · Malaysia: 3.8% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Germany spends 1.9% of its GDP on the military, Malaysia 1.0%.
Germany: 1.9% (2024) · Malaysia: 1% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Germany’s price level (US = 100) is 2.5× Malaysia’s.
Germany: 80% (2025) · Malaysia: 32% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Germany spends 15 times as much on health per person as Malaysia.
Germany: $6,849 (2024) · Malaysia: $450 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Germany live 4 years longer than in Malaysia.
Germany: 80.8 years (2024) · Malaysia: 76.8 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Malaysia is 2.3 times as likely to die before turning one as in Germany.
Germany: 3.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Malaysia: 7 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Germany has 94% more doctors per person than Malaysia.
Germany: 4.5 per 1,000 (2022) · Malaysia: 2.3 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is obesity?
24% of adults in Germany are obese, versus 24% in Malaysia.
Germany: 24.5% (2024) · Malaysia: 23.6% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
22% of adults in Germany smoke, versus 17% in Malaysia.
Germany: 22% (2024) · Malaysia: 16.9% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Germany rate their lives 0.88 points higher than in Malaysia.
Germany: 6.88 (2025) · Malaysia: 6.01 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Germany drink 14 times as much alcohol as in Malaysia.
Germany: 10.9 litres (2023) · Malaysia: 0.8 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Germany has 2% more meat per person than Malaysia.
Germany: 70.7 kg (2023) · Malaysia: 69.1 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Germany has 608 kcal more food per person per day than Malaysia.
Germany: 3,535 kcal (2023) · Malaysia: 2,927 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Malaysia put in 972 more hours a year than in Germany.
Germany: 1,335 hours (2023) · Malaysia: 2,308 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Germany went to school 3.2 years longer than in Malaysia.
Germany: 14.3 years (2023) · Malaysia: 11.1 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Germany welcomed 54% more tourists per resident than Malaysia (2019).
Germany: 0.45 (2024) · Malaysia: 0.29 (2022)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
98% of people in Malaysia are online, versus 94% in Germany.
Germany: 94% (2024) · Malaysia: 98% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Germany and Malaysia are practically level.
Germany: 100% (2024) · Malaysia: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
82% of people in Germany live in cities, versus 77% in Malaysia.
Germany: 82% (2025) · Malaysia: 77% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Malaysia has 140 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Germany 129.
Germany: 129 (2024) · Malaysia: 140 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Germany’s railway network is 20 times as long as Malaysia’s.
Germany: 33,401 km (2021) · Malaysia: 1,655 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Malaysia fly 35% more passengers per resident than those from Germany.
Germany: 0.96 (2023) · Malaysia: 1.3 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 58% of Malaysia, but only 33% of Germany.
Germany: 32.7% (2023) · Malaysia: 57.7% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Malaysia emits 21% more CO₂ than someone in Germany.
Germany: 6.8 t (2024) · Malaysia: 8.2 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
59% of Germany’s electricity is renewable, versus 21% in Malaysia.
Germany: 59.1% (2025) · Malaysia: 20.7% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Malaysia carries 68% more fine dust than in Germany.
Germany: 9.1 µg/m³ (2024) · Malaysia: 15.3 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 24% more likely to be murdered in Germany than in Malaysia.
Germany: 0.9 per 100k (2023) · Malaysia: 0.7 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Malaysia are 4.2 times as deadly as in Germany.
Germany: 3.3 per 100k (2021) · Malaysia: 13.9 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Malaysia is on average 15.7 °C warmer than Germany.
Germany: 10.3°C (2016–2025 avg) · Malaysia: 26°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Malaysia gets 3.5 times as much rain as Germany.
Germany: 871 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Malaysia: 3,081 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Germany bigger than Malaysia?
Germany is larger. Germany is 8% bigger than Malaysia.
Which has more people, Germany or Malaysia?
Germany has 2.3 times as many people as Malaysia (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Germany or Malaysia?
People in Germany live 4 years longer than in Malaysia. Life expectancy at birth is 80.8 years in Germany and 76.8 in Malaysia.
Are people taller in Germany or Malaysia?
Men in Germany are 11.1 cm taller than in Malaysia (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
