Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Malaysia fits inside Peru 3.9 times.
Malaysia: 330,411 km² (2023) · Peru: 1,285,220 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Malaysia’s coastline is 94% longer than Peru’s.
Malaysia: 4,675 km (2026 edition) · Peru: 2,414 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Peru’s highest peak towers 2,651 m above Malaysia’s.
Malaysia: 4,095 m (2026 edition) · Peru: 6,746 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Malaysia has 4% more people than Peru.
Malaysia: 36 million (2025) · Peru: 34.6 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Malaysia is 4.1 times as densely populated as Peru.
Malaysia: 110 per km² (2025) · Peru: 27 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Malaysia are 2.4 cm taller than in Peru.
Malaysia: 169.2 cm (2019) · Peru: 166.8 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Malaysia are 2.7 cm taller than in Peru.
Malaysia: 157.1 cm (2019) · Peru: 154.4 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Malaysia is 0.61 years older than in Peru.
Malaysia: 30.1 years (2023) · Peru: 29.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Peru have 0.4 more children on average than in Malaysia.
Malaysia: 1.54 children per woman (2024) · Peru: 1.97 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
9.5% of people in Peru are 65 or older, versus 8.0% in Malaysia.
Malaysia: 8% (2025) · Peru: 9.5% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Peru has produced 0.3 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Malaysia 0.0.
Malaysia: 0 (2025) · Peru: 0.3 (2025)
How many official languages?
Peru has 3 official languages, Malaysia 2.
Malaysia: 2 (2026) · Peru: 3 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Malaysia’s economy is 41% larger than Peru’s.
Malaysia: $472 billion (2025) · Peru: $335 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Malaysia produces 2.2 times as much per person as Peru.
Malaysia: Int$41,498 (2025) · Peru: Int$18,816 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Malaysia than in Peru (Gini 0.6 points higher).
Malaysia: 40.7 (2021) · Peru: 40.1 (2024)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 5.1% in Peru, versus 3.8% in Malaysia.
Malaysia: 3.8% (2025) · Peru: 5.1% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Malaysia and Peru are practically level.
Malaysia: 1% (2024) · Peru: 0.9% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Peru’s price level (US = 100) is 1.6× Malaysia’s.
Malaysia: 32% (2025) · Peru: 51% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Malaysia spends 1% more on health per person than Peru.
Malaysia: $450 (2023) · Peru: $446 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Peru live 1.1 years longer than in Malaysia.
Malaysia: 76.8 years (2024) · Peru: 77.9 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Peru is 57% more likely to die before turning one than in Malaysia.
Malaysia: 7 per 1,000 (2024) · Peru: 11 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Malaysia has 39% more doctors per person than Peru.
Malaysia: 2.3 per 1,000 (2023) · Peru: 1.7 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is obesity?
29% of adults in Peru are obese, versus 24% in Malaysia.
Malaysia: 23.6% (2024) · Peru: 29.1% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
17% of adults in Malaysia smoke, versus 12% in Peru.
Malaysia: 16.9% (2024) · Peru: 12.4% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Malaysia rate their lives 0.03 points higher than in Peru.
Malaysia: 6.01 (2025) · Peru: 5.97 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Peru drink 5.9 times as much alcohol as in Malaysia.
Malaysia: 0.8 litres (2023) · Peru: 4.8 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Malaysia has 25% more meat per person than Peru.
Malaysia: 69.1 kg (2023) · Peru: 55.4 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Malaysia has 116 kcal more food per person per day than Peru.
Malaysia: 2,927 kcal (2023) · Peru: 2,811 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Malaysia put in 165 more hours a year than in Peru.
Malaysia: 2,308 hours (2023) · Peru: 2,143 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Malaysia went to school 0.94 years longer than in Peru.
Malaysia: 11.1 years (2023) · Peru: 10.2 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Malaysia welcomed 4.8 times as many tourists per resident as Peru (2019).
Malaysia: 0.29 (2022) · Peru: 0.06 (2022)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
98% of people in Malaysia are online, versus 82% in Peru.
Malaysia: 98% (2024) · Peru: 82% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in Malaysia have electricity, versus 97% in Peru.
Malaysia: 100% (2024) · Peru: 96.5% (2024)
How many live in cities?
86% of people in Peru live in cities, versus 77% in Malaysia.
Malaysia: 77% (2025) · Peru: 86% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Malaysia has 140 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Peru 125.
Malaysia: 140 (2024) · Peru: 125 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Peru’s railway network is 12% longer than Malaysia’s.
Malaysia: 1,655 km (2021) · Peru: 1,854 km (2017)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Malaysia fly 2.5 times as many passengers per resident as those from Peru.
Malaysia: 1.3 (2023) · Peru: 0.51 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 58% of Malaysia, but only 56% of Peru.
Malaysia: 57.7% (2023) · Peru: 56.1% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Malaysia emits 4 times as much CO₂ as someone in Peru.
Malaysia: 8.2 t (2024) · Peru: 2.1 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
64% of Peru’s electricity is renewable, versus 21% in Malaysia.
Malaysia: 20.7% (2025) · Peru: 63.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Peru carries 80% more fine dust than in Malaysia.
Malaysia: 15.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Peru: 27.6 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 12 times as likely to be murdered in Peru as in Malaysia.
Malaysia: 0.7 per 100k (2023) · Peru: 8.6 per 100k (2021)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Malaysia are 9% deadlier than in Peru.
Malaysia: 13.9 per 100k (2021) · Peru: 12.7 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Malaysia is on average 6.8 °C warmer than Peru.
Malaysia: 26°C (2016–2025 avg) · Peru: 19.2°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Malaysia gets 42% more rain than Peru.
Malaysia: 3,081 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Peru: 2,164 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Malaysia bigger than Peru?
Peru is larger. Malaysia fits inside Peru 3.9 times.
Which has more people, Malaysia or Peru?
Malaysia has 4% more people than Peru (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Malaysia or Peru?
People in Peru live 1.1 years longer than in Malaysia. Life expectancy at birth is 76.8 years in Malaysia and 77.9 in Peru.
Are people taller in Malaysia or Peru?
Men in Malaysia are 2.4 cm taller than in Peru (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
