Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of Bangladesh, you would:
Health
see 22.8% more spent on your healthcare
Bangladesh spends $199 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.
be 94.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Bangladesh, 0.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 9.4% of people as of 2024.
live 8.4 years less
In Bangladesh, the average life expectancy is 75 years (73 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 67 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024.
be 2.0 times more likely to be obese
In Bangladesh, 5.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.
have 55.1% fewer doctors per person
Bangladesh has 7.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.
be 2.5 times more likely to die by suicide
Bangladesh has a suicide rate of 2.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 7.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 56.6% more likely to be unemployed
In Bangladesh, 3.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zambia, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
be 3.2 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Bangladesh, 18.7% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Zambia, however, that number is 60.0% as of 2022.
make 49.3% less money
Bangladesh has a GDP per capita of $2,597 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.
Life
be 26.1% less likely to die during childbirth
In Bangladesh, approximately 115.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Zambia, 85.0 women do as of 2023.
have 63.7% more children
In Bangladesh, there are approximately 20.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zambia, there are 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 41.8% more likely to die during infancy
In Bangladesh, approximately 24.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Zambia, on the other hand, 34.6 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 48.6% less likely to have access to electricity
In Bangladesh, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Zambia, that number is 51% of people on average (90% in urban areas, and 18% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 68.0% less likely to have internet access
In Bangladesh, approximately 53.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.
be 25.7% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Bangladesh, approximately 99% of people have access to drinking water (99% in urban areas, and 99% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 73% of people on average (90% in urban areas, and 58% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.0 times more on education
Bangladesh spends 2.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Zambia spends 4.1% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 2.8 times more on healthcare
Bangladesh spends 2.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zambia, that number is 6.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 2.2 times more likely to be murdered
Bangladesh has a homicide rate of 2.3 per 100,000 people as of 2018. In Zambia, that number is 5.2 per 100,000 as of 2015.
Infrastructure
live with 50.3% less strain on fresh water
Bangladesh withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zambia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 20.5% more electricity
Bangladesh uses 603 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Zambia uses 727 kWh as of 2023.
find 90.2% less home broadband
Bangladesh has 8.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.
Environment
be 24.2% less likely to die from air pollution
In Bangladesh, air pollution causes 66.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zambia, it causes 50.0 as of 2019.
emit 25.0% less CO2
Bangladesh emits 0.7 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bangladesh vs. Zambia
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to Bangladesh? See an in-depth size comparison.