Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of Denmark, you would:
Health
be 19.2% less likely to be obese
In Denmark, 14.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.
be 31.8% less likely to die by suicide
Denmark has a suicide rate of 10.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 7.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 94.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Denmark, 0.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 9.4% of people as of 2024.
live 15.7 years less
In Denmark, the average life expectancy is 82 years (80 years for men, 84 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 96.6% less spent on your healthcare
Denmark spends $7,262 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.
have 92.8% fewer doctors per person
Denmark has 45.0 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.
have 31.7% less access to essential health services
Denmark scores 82 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Zambia scores 56 as of 2021.
Economy
be 4.8 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Denmark, 12.4% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Zambia, however, that number is 60.0% as of 2022.
make 98.3% less money
Denmark has a GDP per capita of $76,970 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.
Life
have 3.4 times more children
In Denmark, there are approximately 9.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zambia, there are 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 21.2 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Denmark, approximately 4.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Zambia, 85.0 women do as of 2023.
be 9.9 times more likely to die during infancy
In Denmark, approximately 3.5 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 Denmark, 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 82.9% less likely to have internet access
In Denmark, approximately 99.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.
be 26.6% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Denmark, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 100% 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 36.0% less on education
Denmark spends 6.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Zambia spends 4.1% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 36.3% less on healthcare
Denmark spends 9.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 6.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 7.4 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Denmark, road accidents kill 2.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zambia, they kill 17.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 88.8% less strain on fresh water
Denmark withdraws 25% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zambia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
find 98.2% less home broadband
Denmark has 43.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.
use 88.2% less electricity
Denmark uses 6,165 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Zambia uses 727 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 87.4% less CO2
Denmark emits 4.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.
be 3.8 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Denmark, air pollution causes 13.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zambia, it causes 50.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Denmark vs. Zambia
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to Denmark? See an in-depth size comparison.