Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of Democratic Republic of the Congo, you would:
Health
live 4.5 years longer
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, the average life expectancy is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 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 4.2 times more spent on your healthcare
Democratic Republic of the Congo spends $58 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.
have 55.8% more doctors per person
Democratic Republic of the Congo has 2.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.
have 33.3% more access to essential health services
Democratic Republic of the Congo scores 42 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Zambia scores 56 as of 2021.
be 18.7% less likely to die by suicide
Democratic Republic of the Congo has a suicide rate of 8.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 7.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 13.4 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 0.7% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 9.4% of people as of 2024.
be 73.1% more likely to be obese
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 6.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 63.4% more money
Democratic Republic of the Congo has a GDP per capita of $807 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.
be 33.6% more likely to be unemployed
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 4.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zambia, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
Life
be 80.1% less likely to die during childbirth
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 427.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Zambia, 85.0 women do as of 2023.
be 38.7% less likely to die during infancy
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 56.4 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 20.0% fewer children
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, there are approximately 40.9 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 2.3 times more likely to have access to electricity
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 22% of people have electricity access (56% in urban areas, and 1% 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 2.1 times more likely to have access to drinking water
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 36% of people have access to drinking water (59% in urban areas, and 14% 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.
be 13.1% less likely to have internet access
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 19.7% 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
Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Zambia spends 4.1% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 62.5% more on healthcare
Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 3.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zambia, that number is 6.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 26.3 times more home broadband
Democratic Republic of the Congo has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.
use 5.7 times more electricity
Democratic Republic of the Congo uses 129 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Zambia uses 727 kWh as of 2023.
live with 12.3 times more strain on fresh water
Democratic Republic of the Congo withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zambia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
Environment
be 30.6% less likely to die from air pollution
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, air pollution causes 72.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zambia, it causes 50.0 as of 2019.
emit 9.0 times more CO2
Democratic Republic of the Congo emits 0.1 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: Democratic Republic of the Congo vs. Zambia
MORE COMPARISONS
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to Democratic Republic of the Congo? See an in-depth size comparison.