Argentina and Malaysia Economies: A Side-by-Side Table Comparison

Argentina and Malaysia present intriguing contrasts across key indicators. Argentina’s population is 1.36 times larger, while its land area dwarfs Malaysia’s by 8.42 times. Economically, Argentina has a higher GDP, but Malaysia enjoys greater economic freedom and military spending, alongside significantly larger trade figures.

Basic Indicators

Indicator	Argentina	Malaysia	Comparison
Population source (2022 data), updated 2024	46.23 million (32nd)	33.94 million (44th)	Argentina’s population is approximately 1.36 times larger than Malaysia’s.
Surface area (sq. km) source (2022 data), updated 2024	2.78 million sq. km (8th)	0.33 million sq. km (66th)	Argentina is 8.42 times larger than Malaysia in area.
GDP source (2022 data), updated 2024	631.13B USD (22nd)	407.03B USD (36th)	Argentina’s total GDP is approximately 1.55 times larger than Malaysia’s.
GDP per capita source (2022 data), updated 2024	$13,651 (64th)	11,993 USD (68th)	Argentina’s GDP per capita is roughly 13.8% higher than Malaysia’s, with Argentinians producing about $1,657.42 more per person annually.

Economic Indexes

Index	Argentina	Malaysia	Comparison
HDI (Human Development Index) source (2022 data), updated 2024	0.849 (48th)	0.807 (60th)	Argentina’s HDI is 0.849 (high), while Malaysia’s is 0.807 (high). Argentina’s score is 0.042 higher, indicating a slightly better level of human development overall.
Index of Economic Freedom source (2024 data)	49.9 (132nd)	65.7 (42nd)	Argentina’s Index of Economic Freedom is 24.8% lower than Malaysia’s, 15.8 points less.
GINI source (2022 data), updated 2024	42 (2021 est.)	41.2 (2018 est.)	With a 2% higher Gini coefficient, Argentina has a higher degree of income inequality than Malaysia.

International trade _{source(2023 data), updated 2024}

Indicator	Argentina	Malaysia
Total imports	92.57B USD	283.60B
Imports % of GDP	15.35%	69.71%
Main import partners	China 21%, Brazil 20%, US 14%, Germany 3%, Paraguay 2%	China 28%, Singapore 12%, US 6%, Taiwan 6%, Japan 5%
Main import items	refined petroleum, vehicle parts/accessories, natural gas, fertilizers, cars	integrated circuits, refined petroleum, crude petroleum, coal, vehicle parts/accessories
Total exports	83.36B USD	312.86B
Exports % of GDP	16.30%	76.95%
Main export Partners	Brazil 15%, China 9%, US 8%, Chile 6%, India 5%	Singapore 14%, China 13%, US 12%, Japan 6%, Hong Kong 6%
Main export items	soybean meal, corn, soybean oil, wheat, trucks	integrated circuits, refined petroleum, natural gas, palm oil, crude petroleum

Argentina’s imports are just a third of Malaysia’s, and Argentina imports 54% less of its GDP compared to Malaysia. Argentina’s exports are just a quarter of Malaysia’s, focusing on agricultural goods, while Malaysia thrives on tech and energy exports.

Military Power _{source (2023 data), updated 2024}

Indicator	Argentina	Malaysia
Military expenditure	3.1B USD	3.9B USD
Military expenditure (% of GDP)	0.41%	0.96%
Active military	72k	113k
Active military per 1,000 capita	2.3	13.6

Malaysia’s military expenditure is $777.2 million higher and constitutes a significantly larger portion of its economy at 0.96% of GDP, compared to Argentina’s 0.41%.