MYR
…
SGD
…
Land Area
Malaysia
329,847 km²
Largest
Singapore
728 km²
0.2% of largest
Malaysia is 453.09× larger than Singapore
Population
Malaysia
LARGEST
35.98M
PEOPLE
Singapore
17.0% OF LARGEST
6.11M
PEOPLE
Malaysia has 5.89× the population of Singapore
GDP
Singapore
LARGEST
$603.87B
Malaysia
78.2% OF LARGEST
$472.19B
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
Malaysia
LARGEST
113K
TROOPS
Singapore
63.7% OF LARGEST
72K
TROOPS
Malaysia has 1.57× the active personnel of Singapore
Air Force
Malaysia
LARGEST
171
AIRCRAFT
Singapore
89.5% OF LARGEST
153
AIRCRAFT
Malaysia has 1.12× the aircraft of Singapore
Naval Assets
Malaysia
Singapore
Wealth
Gold Reserves
Singapore
LARGEST
220.0
Metric Tonnes
Malaysia
17.7% OF LARGEST
38.9
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
Singapore
LARGEST
$365B
Reserves · excl. gold
Malaysia
31.0% OF LARGEST
$113B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
Singapore
MOST
35
billionaires
Malaysia
—
Oil
Production & Consumption
Singapore
NET IMPORTER
Production
0.0M b/d
Consumption
1.4M b/d
−1.4M b/d net
Trade (Import/Export)
Malaysia
$301.2B
Exports
$301.2B
Imports
$278.8B
Trade Balance
+$22.5B
Trade Surplus
Singapore
$978.6B
Exports
$978.6B
Imports
$786.0B
Trade Balance
+$192.6B
Trade Surplus
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
Singapore
consumption
Malaysia
supply
Tea
kg / person / yr
Malaysia
supply
Singapore
consumption
Beer
litres / person / yr
Singapore
consumption
Malaysia
consumption
Wine
litres / person / yr
Singapore
consumption
Malaysia
supply
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
Singapore
consumption
Malaysia
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
Malaysia
Singapore
Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol; smoking = % of adults 15+ (WHO)
Olympic Medals
Malaysia
0
Gold
8
Silver
7
Bronze
15
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 15
❄ Winter: 0
Singapore
1
Gold
2
Silver
3
Bronze
6
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 6
❄ Winter: 0
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
Malaysia
Singapore
Age Demographics
Median Age
Singapore
42.2
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Malaysia
30.3
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
Singapore is 11.9 years older (median) than Malaysia
Youth Population
Malaysia has the highest youth population at 49.0% (under 30)
Elderly Population
Singapore has the highest elderly population at 20.0% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
Malaysia
|
Singapore
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations | — |
195
|
| Tourist Arrivals per year | — |
13.6M
|
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide |
0
|
3
|
| UNESCO Heritage Sites inscribed sites |
6
|
1
|
Figures as of 2026. Sources: IMF, EIA/OPEC, Henley Passport Index, UNWTO, Forbes, Michelin Guide, Nobel Foundation, UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
Cost of Living
|
Metric
All indices use New York City as base (100)
Lower values indicate lower costs.
|
Malaysia
|
Singapore
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index |
|
|
| Rent Index |
|
|
| Groceries Index |
|
|
| Restaurant Price Index |
|
|
| Local Purchasing Power |
|
|
| Common Expenses Comparison | ||
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | $4 | $12 |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | $20 | $50 |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | $600 | $2,500 |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $400 | $1,700 |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $80 | $130 |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $25 | $35 |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $15 | $90 |
Health
Healthcare spending, capacity and outcomes. Sources: World Bank / WHO — the year tag shows each figure’s vintage; “—” means the country doesn’t report that metric.
Health spending / person
Singapore
Malaysia
Physicians per 1,000
Singapore
Malaysia
Hospital beds per 1,000
Singapore
Malaysia
Diabetes prevalence
Malaysia
Singapore
Obesity prevalence
Malaysia
Singapore
Suicide rate per 100k
Singapore
Malaysia
Want the long view?
GDP, population, reserves & trade for Malaysia vs Singapore — charted over the decades.
Basic Information
| Metric | Malaysia | Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 35977838 | 6111175 |
| Area (sq km) | 329847 | 728 |
| Capital | Kuala Lumpur | Singapore |
| Official Language | Malay | English, Malay, Mandarin, Tamil |
| Currency | Malaysian Ringgit (MYR) | Singapore Dollar (SGD) |
| Government Type | Federal parliamentary constitutional elective monarchy | Unitary dominant-party parliamentary republic |
Military Strength
| Metric | Malaysia | Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 113,000 | 72,000 |
| Reserve Personnel | 51,600 | 312,500 |
| Total Military Personnel | 164,600 | 384,500 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $4,000,000,000 | $11,200,000,000 |
| Tanks | 48 | 196 |
| Armored Vehicles | 1,159 | 1,280 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 19 | 54 |
| Towed Artillery | 110 | 38 |
| Rocket Projectors | 36 | 18 |
Economy
| Metric | Malaysia | Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $472,193,128,645 | $603,869,516,999 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $13,125 | $98,814 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 3.8% | 2.8% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 40.7 | 45.9 |
| Currency | Malaysian Ringgit (MYR) | Singapore Dollar (SGD) |
| Loading current exchange rates… | ||
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
Malaysia is 453.1 times larger in area than Singapore.
That's a massive difference!
Malaysia has 5.9 times more people than Singapore.
Singapore has the highest GDP per capita at $98,814 among the selected countries.
Singapore has the largest economy with a GDP of
$603.87 billion.
Malaysia has the largest active military personnel with 113,000 troops.
Malaysia has the largest air force with 171 aircraft.
Malaysia has the largest navy with 61 vessels.
Malaysia vs Singapore: Key Comparisons
Economy: Singapore's GDP of $604B is 1.3x larger than Malaysia's $472B — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: Malaysia's population of 36M is 5.9x larger than Singapore's 6M.
Area: Malaysia covers 329,847 km², making it 453.1x larger than Singapore.
Military: Malaysia fields 110Thousand active troops vs Singapore's 72Thousand.
Trade: Malaysia runs a trade surplus of $22B while Singapore runs a trade surplus of $193B.
Life Expectancy: Singapore leads with a life expectancy of 83 years vs Malaysia's 77.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated August 2026.
Sources & methodology