Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of Ethiopia, you would:
Health
see 2.8 times more spent on your healthcare
Ethiopia spends $86 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.
have 2.3 times more doctors per person
Ethiopia has 1.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.
have 60.0% more access to essential health services
Ethiopia scores 35 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Zambia scores 56 as of 2021.
be 13.4 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Ethiopia, 0.7% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 9.4% of people as of 2024.
live 1.1 years less
In Ethiopia, the average life expectancy is 68 years (64 years for men, 71 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 4.0 times more likely to be obese
In Ethiopia, 2.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.
be 17.5% more likely to die by suicide
Ethiopia has a suicide rate of 6.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 7.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 41.3% more money
Ethiopia has a GDP per capita of $933 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.
be 78.3% more likely to be unemployed
In Ethiopia, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zambia, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
be 81.3% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Ethiopia, 33.1% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Zambia, however, that number is 60.0% as of 2022.
Life
be 56.4% less likely to die during childbirth
In Ethiopia, approximately 195.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Zambia, 85.0 women do as of 2023.
be 18.7% more likely to be literate
In Ethiopia, the literacy rate is 60.5% as of 2022. In Zambia, it is 71.8% as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 32.0% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Ethiopia, approximately 56% of people have access to drinking water (83% in urban areas, and 47% 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 22.1% less likely to have internet access
In Ethiopia, approximately 21.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 77.0% more on education
Ethiopia spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Zambia spends 4.1% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 2.1 times more on healthcare
Ethiopia spends 2.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zambia, that number is 6.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 39.5% less likely to be murdered
Ethiopia has a homicide rate of 8.6 per 100,000 people as of 2012. In Zambia, that number is 5.2 per 100,000 as of 2015.
Infrastructure
find 33.9% more home broadband
Ethiopia has 0.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.
live with 91.2% less strain on fresh water
Ethiopia withdraws 32% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zambia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 6.5 times more electricity
Ethiopia uses 113 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Zambia uses 727 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 3.6 times more CO2
Ethiopia emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2012–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Ethiopia vs. Zambia
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to Ethiopia? See an in-depth size comparison.