Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of Benin, you would:
Health
live 5.6 years longer
In Benin, the average life expectancy is 61 years (60 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 67 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024.
see 76.8% more spent on your healthcare
Benin spends $138 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.
have 50.0% more doctors per person
Benin has 2.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.
have 47.4% more access to essential health services
Benin scores 38 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Zambia scores 56 as of 2021.
be 13.4 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Benin, 0.7% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 9.4% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 3.7 times more likely to be unemployed
In Benin, 1.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zambia, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
be 65.7% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Benin, 36.2% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Zambia, however, that number is 60.0% as of 2022.
make 20.5% less money
Benin has a GDP per capita of $1,658 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.
Life
be 83.6% less likely to die during childbirth
In Benin, approximately 518.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Zambia, 85.0 women do as of 2023.
be 39.7% more likely to be literate
In Benin, the literacy rate is 51.4% as of 2022. In Zambia, it is 71.8% as of 2024.
be 23.5% less likely to die during infancy
In Benin, approximately 45.2 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 10.4% less likely to have access to electricity
In Benin, approximately 57% of people have electricity access (70% in urban areas, and 44% 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 49.7% less likely to have internet access
In Benin, approximately 34.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 26.0% more on education
Benin spends 3.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Zambia spends 4.1% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 79.0% more on healthcare
Benin spends 3.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zambia, that number is 6.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 31.0% less likely to die in a road accident
In Benin, road accidents kill 24.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zambia, they kill 17.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 4.6 times more likely to be murdered
Benin has a homicide rate of 1.1 per 100,000 people as of 2017. In Zambia, that number is 5.2 per 100,000 as of 2015.
Infrastructure
find 2.8 times more home broadband
Benin has 0.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.
use 6.3 times more electricity
Benin uses 115 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Zambia uses 727 kWh as of 2023.
live with 2.9 times more strain on fresh water
Benin withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zambia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
Environment
be 35.1% less likely to die from air pollution
In Benin, air pollution causes 77.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zambia, it causes 50.0 as of 2019.
emit 10.2% more CO2
Benin emits 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Benin vs. Zambia
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to Benin? See an in-depth size comparison.