Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of Bosnia and Herzegovina, you would:
Health
be 44.8% less likely to be obese
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, 21.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.
be 20.5% less likely to die by suicide
Bosnia and Herzegovina has a suicide rate of 9.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 7.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 11.5 years less
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 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 87.7% less spent on your healthcare
Bosnia and Herzegovina spends $1,989 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.
have 87.5% fewer doctors per person
Bosnia and Herzegovina has 25.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2019. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.
have 15.2% less access to essential health services
Bosnia and Herzegovina scores 66 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Zambia scores 56 as of 2021.
Economy
be 46.4% less likely to be unemployed
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, 11.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zambia, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
make 87.3% less money
Bosnia and Herzegovina has a GDP per capita of $10,382 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.
Life
have 4.2 times more children
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, there are approximately 7.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zambia, there are 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 14.2 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, approximately 6.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Zambia, 85.0 women do as of 2023.
be 26.8% less likely to be literate
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the literacy rate is 98.1% as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 71.8% as of 2024.
be 6.3 times more likely to die during infancy
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, approximately 5.5 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 48.9% less likely to have access to electricity
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, 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 80.1% less likely to have internet access
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, approximately 86.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.
be 23.6% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, approximately 96% of people have access to drinking water (95% in urban areas, and 97% 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 33.0% less on healthcare
Bosnia and Herzegovina spends 8.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zambia, that number is 6.0% of GDP as of 2023.
spend 25.2% more on education
Bosnia and Herzegovina spends 3.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Zambia spends 4.1% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Safety
be 24.8% more likely to die in a road accident
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, road accidents kill 13.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zambia, they kill 17.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 97.3% less home broadband
Bosnia and Herzegovina has 29.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.
live with 37.2% more strain on fresh water
Bosnia and Herzegovina withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zambia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 80.2% less electricity
Bosnia and Herzegovina uses 3,677 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Zambia uses 727 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 91.6% less CO2
Bosnia and Herzegovina emits 6.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Zambia
MORE COMPARISONS
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to Bosnia and Herzegovina? See an in-depth size comparison.