Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of China, you would:
Health
be 20.3% less likely to die by suicide
China has a suicide rate of 8.9 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 China, 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.
be 24.7% more likely to be obese
In China, 9.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.
see 83.6% less spent on your healthcare
China spends $1,487 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.
have 89.6% fewer doctors per person
China has 31.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.
have 30.9% less access to essential health services
China scores 81 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Zambia scores 56 as of 2021.
Economy
be 28.1% more likely to be unemployed
In China, 4.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zambia, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
make 90.5% less money
China has a GDP per capita of $13,862 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.
Life
have 4.8 times more children
In China, there are approximately 6.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zambia, there are 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 5.3 times more likely to die during childbirth
In China, approximately 16.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Zambia, 85.0 women do as of 2023.
be 8.4 times more likely to die during infancy
In China, approximately 4.1 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 China, 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 81.3% less likely to have internet access
In China, approximately 91.6% of the population has internet access as of 2025. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.
be 23.6% less likely to have access to drinking water
In China, approximately 96% of people have access to drinking water (97% in urban areas, and 94% 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.
Infrastructure
live with 93.2% less strain on fresh water
China withdraws 42% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zambia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
find 98.3% less home broadband
China has 47.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.
use 88.9% less electricity
China uses 6,524 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Zambia uses 727 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 21.9% less likely to die from air pollution
In China, air pollution causes 64.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zambia, it causes 50.0 as of 2019.
emit 94.2% less CO2
China emits 9.3 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: China vs. Zambia
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to China? See an in-depth size comparison.