Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of Cameroon, you would:
Health
live 2.6 years longer
In Cameroon, 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.
be 27.8% less likely to be obese
In Cameroon, 16.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.
have 2.4 times more doctors per person
Cameroon has 1.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.
have 27.3% more access to essential health services
Cameroon scores 44 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Zambia scores 56 as of 2021.
be 16.1% less likely to die by suicide
Cameroon has a suicide rate of 8.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 7.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 3.8 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Cameroon, 2.5% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 9.4% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 64.4% more likely to be unemployed
In Cameroon, 3.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zambia, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
be 59.2% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Cameroon, 37.7% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Zambia, however, that number is 60.0% as of 2022.
make 33.2% less money
Cameroon has a GDP per capita of $1,972 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.
Life
be 67.1% less likely to die during childbirth
In Cameroon, approximately 258.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Zambia, 85.0 women do as of 2023.
be 13.9% less likely to die during infancy
In Cameroon, approximately 40.2 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 29.0% less likely to have access to electricity
In Cameroon, approximately 72% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 26% 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 63.0% less likely to have internet access
In Cameroon, approximately 46.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 43.3% more on education
Cameroon spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Zambia spends 4.1% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 31.4% more on healthcare
Cameroon spends 4.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zambia, that number is 6.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 61.3% more likely to die in a road accident
In Cameroon, road accidents kill 10.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zambia, they kill 17.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
use 3.2 times more electricity
Cameroon uses 226 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Zambia uses 727 kWh as of 2023.
find 62.9% less home broadband
Cameroon has 2.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.
live with 82.1% more strain on fresh water
Cameroon withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zambia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
Environment
be 50.5% less likely to die from air pollution
In Cameroon, air pollution causes 101.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zambia, it causes 50.0 as of 2019.
emit 54.3% more CO2
Cameroon emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Cameroon vs. Zambia
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to Cameroon? See an in-depth size comparison.