Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of Central African Republic, you would:
Health
live 8.9 years longer
In Central African Republic, the average life expectancy is 58 years (56 years for men, 60 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 78.3% more spent on your healthcare
Central African Republic spends $137 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.
have 4.4 times more doctors per person
Central African Republic has 0.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.
have 75.0% more access to essential health services
Central African Republic scores 32 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Zambia scores 56 as of 2021.
be 22.4% less likely to die by suicide
Central African Republic has a suicide rate of 9.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 7.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 3.9 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Central African Republic, 2.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 9.4% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 12.8% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Central African Republic, 68.8% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Zambia, however, that number is 60.0% as of 2022.
make 2.4 times more money
Central African Republic has a GDP per capita of $556 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.
Life
be 87.7% less likely to die during childbirth
In Central African Republic, approximately 692.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Zambia, 85.0 women do as of 2023.
be 41.2% less likely to die during infancy
In Central African Republic, approximately 58.8 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.
have 29.2% fewer children
In Central African Republic, there are approximately 46.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zambia, there are 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 2.9 times more likely to have access to electricity
In Central African Republic, approximately 18% of people have electricity access (37% 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 24.1% more likely to have internet access
In Central African Republic, approximately 13.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.
be 2.0 times more likely to have access to drinking water
In Central African Republic, approximately 36% of people have access to drinking water (48% in urban areas, and 27% 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 43.9% less on healthcare
Central African Republic spends 10.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zambia, that number is 6.0% of GDP as of 2023.
spend 2.2 times more on education
Central African Republic spends 1.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Zambia spends 4.1% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Safety
be 74.2% less likely to be murdered
Central African Republic has a homicide rate of 20.1 per 100,000 people as of 2016. In Zambia, that number is 5.2 per 100,000 as of 2015.
be 34.0% less likely to die in a road accident
In Central African Republic, road accidents kill 25.9 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
Central African Republic has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.
live with 8.4 times more strain on fresh water
Central African Republic withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zambia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
Environment
be 49.0% less likely to die from air pollution
In Central African Republic, air pollution causes 98.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zambia, it causes 50.0 as of 2019.
emit 9.0 times more CO2
Central African Republic emits 0.1 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: Central African Republic vs. Zambia
MORE COMPARISONS
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to Central African Republic? See an in-depth size comparison.