Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of Iraq, you would:
Health
be 70.8% less likely to be obese
In Iraq, 39.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.
be 94.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Iraq, 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 5.9 years less
In Iraq, the average life expectancy is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 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 71.1% less spent on your healthcare
Iraq spends $843 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.
have 68.3% fewer doctors per person
Iraq has 10.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.
be 2.4 times more likely to die by suicide
Iraq has a suicide rate of 3.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 7.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 61.8% less likely to be unemployed
In Iraq, 15.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zambia, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
be 3.4 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Iraq, 17.5% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Zambia, however, that number is 60.0% as of 2022.
make 75.6% less money
Iraq has a GDP per capita of $5,410 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.
Life
have 27.9% more children
In Iraq, there are approximately 25.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zambia, there are 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 28.8% more likely to die during childbirth
In Iraq, approximately 66.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Zambia, 85.0 women do as of 2023.
be 14.6% less likely to be literate
In Iraq, the literacy rate is 84.1% as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 71.8% as of 2024.
be 72.1% more likely to die during infancy
In Iraq, approximately 20.1 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 Iraq, 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 79.0% less likely to have internet access
In Iraq, approximately 81.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.
be 25.4% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Iraq, approximately 98% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 95% 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.
Safety
be 44.7% less likely to be murdered
Iraq has a homicide rate of 9.4 per 100,000 people as of 2013. In Zambia, that number is 5.2 per 100,000 as of 2015.
be 20.5% less likely to die in a road accident
In Iraq, road accidents kill 21.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zambia, they kill 17.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 95.2% less strain on fresh water
Iraq withdraws 60% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zambia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
find 95.5% less home broadband
Iraq has 17.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.
use 47.2% less electricity
Iraq uses 1,377 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Zambia uses 727 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 42.5% less likely to die from air pollution
In Iraq, air pollution causes 87.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zambia, it causes 50.0 as of 2019.
emit 89.6% less CO2
Iraq emits 5.2 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 (2013–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Iraq vs. Zambia
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to Iraq? See an in-depth size comparison.