Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of Burundi, you would:
Health
live 2.7 years longer
In Burundi, the average life expectancy is 64 years (62 years for men, 66 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 2.4 times more spent on your healthcare
Burundi spends $100 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.
have 4.2 times more doctors per person
Burundi has 0.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.
have 36.6% more access to essential health services
Burundi scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Zambia scores 56 as of 2021.
be 11.7 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Burundi, 0.8% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 9.4% of people as of 2024.
be 2.2 times more likely to be obese
In Burundi, 5.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 5.6 times more money
Burundi has a GDP per capita of $234 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.
be 6.4 times more likely to be unemployed
In Burundi, 0.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zambia, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
be 17.6% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Burundi, 51.0% live below the poverty line as of 2020. In Zambia, however, that number is 60.0% as of 2022.
Life
be 78.3% less likely to die during childbirth
In Burundi, approximately 392.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Zambia, 85.0 women do as of 2023.
be 13.4% more likely to die during infancy
In Burundi, approximately 30.5 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 4.4 times more likely to have access to electricity
In Burundi, approximately 12% of people have electricity access (65% in urban areas, and 2% 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 98.8% more likely to have internet access
In Burundi, approximately 8.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.
be 11.4% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Burundi, approximately 66% of people have access to drinking water (91% in urban areas, and 61% 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 34.2% less on healthcare
Burundi spends 9.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zambia, that number is 6.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 39.0% more likely to die in a road accident
In Burundi, road accidents kill 12.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zambia, they kill 17.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 39.5 times more home broadband
Burundi has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.
live with 72.1% less strain on fresh water
Burundi withdraws 10% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zambia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
Environment
be 29.6% less likely to die from air pollution
In Burundi, air pollution causes 71.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zambia, it causes 50.0 as of 2019.
emit 7.7 times more CO2
Burundi emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Burundi vs. Zambia
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to Burundi? See an in-depth size comparison.