Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of Kenya, you would:
Health
live 2.7 years longer
In Kenya, the average life expectancy is 64 years (62 years for men, 66 years for women) as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 67 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024.
have 12.1% more doctors per person
Kenya has 2.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.
be 3.1 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Kenya, 3.0% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 9.4% of people as of 2024.
see 11.2% less spent on your healthcare
Kenya spends $274 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.
be 55.7% more likely to die by suicide
Kenya has a suicide rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 7.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 50.8% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Kenya, 39.8% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Zambia, however, that number is 60.0% as of 2022.
make 44.2% less money
Kenya has a GDP per capita of $2,363 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.
Life
be 43.0% less likely to die during childbirth
In Kenya, approximately 149.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Zambia, 85.0 women do as of 2023.
have 21.3% more children
In Kenya, there are approximately 27.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zambia, there are 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 13.1% less likely to be literate
In Kenya, the literacy rate is 82.6% as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 71.8% as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 11.9% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Kenya, approximately 66% of people have access to drinking water (89% in urban areas, and 56% 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 32.9% less likely to have access to electricity
In Kenya, approximately 76% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 68% 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 51.1% less likely to have internet access
In Kenya, approximately 35.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 37.5% more on healthcare
Kenya spends 4.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zambia, that number is 6.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 39.4% less likely to die in a road accident
In Kenya, road accidents kill 28.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zambia, they kill 17.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 91.5% less strain on fresh water
Kenya withdraws 33% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zambia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 3.7 times more electricity
Kenya uses 195 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Zambia uses 727 kWh as of 2023.
find 74.0% less home broadband
Kenya has 3.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.
Environment
be 51.5% more likely to die from air pollution
In Kenya, air pollution causes 33.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zambia, it causes 50.0 as of 2019.
emit 42.1% more CO2
Kenya emits 0.4 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), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Kenya vs. Zambia
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to Kenya? See an in-depth size comparison.