Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Zimbabwe instead of Cook Islands, you would:

Health

be 79.7% less likely to be obese

In Cook Islands, 72.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, that number is 14.7% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

have 19.6% more access to essential health services

Cook Islands scores 46 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Zimbabwe scores 55 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

live 14.1 years less

In Cook Islands, the average life expectancy is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2022. In Zimbabwe, that number is 63 years (60 years for men, 65 years for women) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Life

have 2.5 times more children

In Cook Islands, there are approximately 12.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, there are 29.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 3.9 times more likely to die during infancy

In Cook Islands, approximately 15.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Zimbabwe, on the other hand, 62.4 children do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Basic Needs

be 35.7% less likely to have internet access

In Cook Islands, approximately 64.8% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Zimbabwe, about 41.6% do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Expenditures

spend 91.7% less on education

Cook Islands spends 4.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Zimbabwe spends 0.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Safety

be 69.9% more likely to die in a road accident

In Cook Islands, road accidents kill 17.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zimbabwe, they kill 29.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

find 89.4% less home broadband

Cook Islands has 18.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Zimbabwe has 1.9 as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Sources: World Bank (2023–2024), The World Factbook (2021–2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021–2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Compare further: Cook Islands vs. Zimbabwe

Cost of Living Comparison · 5 categories - 2026 data
Zimbabwe is 36.0% cheaper than Cook Islands overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Cook Islands is about 1,656 times smaller than Zimbabwe.
→
Moving from Cook Islands to Zimbabwe · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

Zimbabwe: At a glance

Zimbabwe is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 386,847 sq km. The UK annexed Southern Rhodesia from the [British] South Africa Company in 1923. A 1961 constitution was formulated that favored whites in power. In 1965 the government unilaterally declared its independence, but the UK did not recognize the act and demanded more complete voting rights for the black African majority in the country (then called Rhodesia). UN sanctions and a guerrilla uprising finally led to free elections in 1979 and independence (as Zimbabwe) in 1980. Robert MUGABE, the nation's first prime minister, has been the country's only ruler (as president since 1987) and has dominated the country's political system since independence. His chaotic land redistribution campaign, which began in 1997 and intensified after 2000, caused an exodus of white farmers, crippled the economy, and ushered in widespread shortages of basic commodities. Ignoring international condemnation, MUGABE rigged the 2002 presidential election to ensure his reelection. In April 2005, the capital city of Harare embarked on Operation Restore Order, ostensibly an urban rationalization program, which resulted in the destruction of the homes or businesses of 700,000 mostly poor supporters of the opposition. President MUGABE in June 2007 instituted price controls on all basic commodities causing panic buying and leaving store shelves empty for months; a period of increasing hyperinflation ensued. General elections held in March 2008 contained irregularities but still amounted to a censure of the ZANU-PF-led government with the opposition winning a majority of seats in parliament. MDC-T opposition leader Morgan TSVANGIRAI won the most votes in the presidential polls, but not enough to win outright. In the lead up to a run-off election in late June 2008, considerable violence enacted against opposition party members led to the withdrawal of TSVANGIRAI from the ballot. Extensive evidence of violence and intimidation resulted in international condemnation of the process. Difficult negotiations over a power-sharing "government of national unity," in which MUGABE remained president and TSVANGIRAI became prime minister, were finally settled in February 2009, although the leaders failed to agree upon many key outstanding governmental issues. MUGABE was reelected president in June 2013 in balloting that was severely flawed and internationally condemned. As a prerequisite to holding the elections, Zimbabwe enacted a new constitution by referendum, although many provisions in the new constitution have yet to be codified in law.
Read more

How big is Zimbabwe compared to Cook Islands? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Zimbabwe or Cook Islands. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.