China vs Malaysia

China and Malaysia compared on 10 key figures from official sources. Each value is the latest one published for that country, so the year is shown with it.

• China has about 39 times as many people as Malaysia: 1.41 billion against 36 million in 2025.
• GDP per person in China ($13,862) is 6% higher than in Malaysia ($13,125) in 2025.
• The economy grew faster in Malaysia (5.2%) than in China (5%), a difference of 0.2 percentage points in 2025.
• Consumer prices rose faster in Malaysia (1.4%) than in China (0.1%), a difference of 1.3 percentage points in 2025.
• The unemployment rate was higher in China (4.6%) than in Malaysia (3.8%), a difference of 0.8 percentage points in 2025.
• A baby born in China can expect to live 1.2 years longer than one born in Malaysia: 78 years against 76.8 years in 2024.
• The population of China is older: half of its people are over 39.1 years, against 30.1 years in Malaysia in 2023.
• A larger share of people used the internet in Malaysia (98% in 2024) than in China (91.6% in 2025), a difference of 6.4 percentage points.
• CO2 emissions per person in China (9.3 tonnes) are 12% higher than in Malaysia (8.3 tonnes) in 2024.
• Forest covers a larger share of the land in Malaysia (57.7%) than in China (24%), a difference of 33.7 percentage points in 2024.