If you lived in Zambia instead of Djibouti, you would:

Health

see 57.2% more spent on your healthcare

Djibouti spends $155 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.

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have 53.6% more doctors per person

Djibouti has 2.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.

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have 27.3% more access to essential health services

Djibouti scores 44 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Zambia scores 56 as of 2021.

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be 10.4% less likely to die by suicide

Djibouti has a suicide rate of 8.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 7.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 10.4 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Djibouti, 0.9% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 9.4% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

be 77.2% less likely to be unemployed

In Djibouti, 26.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zambia, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.

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make 66.3% less money

Djibouti has a GDP per capita of $3,906 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.

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Life

be 47.5% less likely to die during childbirth

In Djibouti, approximately 162.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Zambia, 85.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 19.5% less likely to die during infancy

In Djibouti, approximately 43.0 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.

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have 56.3% more children

In Djibouti, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zambia, there are 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 21.6% less likely to have access to electricity

In Djibouti, approximately 65% of people have electricity access (75% in urban areas, and 37% 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.

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be 73.8% less likely to have internet access

In Djibouti, approximately 65.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 2.6 times more on healthcare

Djibouti spends 2.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zambia, that number is 6.0% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 26.6% less likely to die in a road accident

In Djibouti, road accidents kill 23.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zambia, they kill 17.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 55.1% less strain on fresh water

Djibouti withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zambia withdraws 3% as of 2022.

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find 46.3% less home broadband

Djibouti has 1.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.

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Environment

be 15.3% less likely to die from air pollution

In Djibouti, air pollution causes 59.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zambia, it causes 50.0 as of 2019.

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emit 29.9% less CO2

Djibouti emits 0.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021). How we calculate this

Zambia: At a glance

Zambia is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 743,398 sq km. The territory of Northern Rhodesia was administered by the [British] South Africa Company from 1891 until it was taken over by the UK in 1923. During the 1920s and 1930s, advances in mining spurred development and immigration. The name was changed to Zambia upon independence in 1964. In the 1980s and 1990s, declining copper prices, economic mismanagement and a prolonged drought hurt the economy. Elections in 1991 brought an end to one-party rule, but the subsequent vote in 1996 saw blatant harassment of opposition parties. The election in 2001 was marked by administrative problems with three parties filing a legal petition challenging the election of ruling party candidate Levy MWANAWASA. MWANAWASA was reelected in 2006 in an election that was deemed free and fair. Upon his abrupt death in August 2008, he was succeeded by his vice president, Rupiah BANDA, who subsequently won a special presidential by-election in October 2008. Michael SATA was elected president in September 2011.
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