Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of Ghana, you would:
Health
live 0.8 years longer
In Ghana, the average life expectancy is 66 years (63 years for men, 68 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 20.4% less likely to be obese
In Ghana, 14.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.
have 21.8% more doctors per person
Ghana has 2.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.
have 16.7% more access to essential health services
Ghana scores 48 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Zambia scores 56 as of 2021.
be 6.3 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Ghana, 1.5% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 9.4% of people as of 2024.
be 34.0% more likely to die by suicide
Ghana has a suicide rate of 5.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 7.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 98.7% more likely to be unemployed
In Ghana, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zambia, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
make 59.5% less money
Ghana has a GDP per capita of $3,257 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.
Life
be 63.7% less likely to die during childbirth
In Ghana, approximately 234.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Zambia, 85.0 women do as of 2023.
have 26.2% more children
In Ghana, there are approximately 25.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zambia, there are 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 25.8% more likely to die during infancy
In Ghana, approximately 27.5 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 42.9% less likely to have access to electricity
In Ghana, approximately 90% of people have electricity access (98% in urban areas, and 78% 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 76.3% less likely to have internet access
In Ghana, approximately 72.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.
be 18.4% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Ghana, approximately 90% of people have access to drinking water (99% in urban areas, and 76% 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 39.9% more on education
Ghana spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Zambia spends 4.1% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 2.0 times more on healthcare
Ghana spends 3.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zambia, that number is 6.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 34.0% less likely to die in a road accident
In Ghana, road accidents kill 25.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zambia, they kill 17.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 19.7% more home broadband
Ghana has 0.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.
live with 55.0% less strain on fresh water
Ghana withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zambia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 28.6% more electricity
Ghana uses 565 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Zambia uses 727 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 43.8% less likely to die from air pollution
In Ghana, air pollution causes 89.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zambia, it causes 50.0 as of 2019.
emit 22.9% less CO2
Ghana emits 0.7 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: Ghana vs. Zambia
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to Ghana? See an in-depth size comparison.