Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zimbabwe instead of Cameroon, you would:
Health
have 25.0% more access to essential health services
Cameroon scores 44 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Zimbabwe scores 55 as of 2021.
be 3.9 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Cameroon, 2.5% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, that number is 9.8% of people as of 2024.
live 0.9 years less
In Cameroon, the average life expectancy is 64 years (62 years for men, 66 years for women) as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, that number is 63 years (60 years for men, 65 years for women) as of 2024.
see 58.1% less spent on your healthcare
Cameroon spends $246 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zimbabwe spends $103 as of 2023.
be 2.0 times more likely to die by suicide
Cameroon has a suicide rate of 8.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zimbabwe, it is 17.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 53.2% more money
Cameroon has a GDP per capita of $1,972 as of 2025, while in Zimbabwe, the GDP per capita is $3,021 as of 2025.
be 2.6 times more likely to be unemployed
In Cameroon, 3.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zimbabwe, that number is 9.3% as of 2025.
Life
be 23.6% more likely to be literate
In Cameroon, the literacy rate is 72.5% as of 2018. In Zimbabwe, it is 89.7% as of 2021.
be 38.8% more 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 Zimbabwe, 358.0 women do as of 2023.
be 55.2% more 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 Zimbabwe, on the other hand, 62.4 children do as of 2024.
have 10.3% fewer children
In Cameroon, there are approximately 33.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, there are 29.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 13.9% 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 Zimbabwe, that number is 62% of people on average (84% in urban areas, and 51% in rural areas) as of 2023.
Expenditures
spend 86.6% less on education
Cameroon spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Zimbabwe spends 0.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 35.6% less on healthcare
Cameroon spends 4.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zimbabwe, that number is 2.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 2.8 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Cameroon, road accidents kill 10.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zimbabwe, they kill 29.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
use 2.2 times more electricity
Cameroon uses 226 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Zimbabwe uses 504 kWh as of 2023.
live with 29.5 times more strain on fresh water
Cameroon withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zimbabwe withdraws 46% as of 2022.
Environment
be 44.6% less likely to die from air pollution
In Cameroon, air pollution causes 101.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zimbabwe, it causes 56.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.2 times more CO2
Cameroon emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Zimbabwe emits 0.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2018–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Cameroon vs. Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: At a glance
How big is Zimbabwe compared to Cameroon? See an in-depth size comparison.