Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of Lesotho, you would:
Health
be 47.4% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Lesotho, 21.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Zambia, that number is 11.1% of people as of 2020.
live 6.7 years longer
In Lesotho, the average life expectancy is 60 years (58 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2022. In Zambia, that number is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2022.
be 51.2% less likely to be obese
In Lesotho, 16.6% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Zambia, that number is 8.1% of people as of 2016.
Economy
make 43.5% more money
Lesotho has a GDP per capita of $2,300 as of 2020, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $3,300 as of 2020.
be 46.6% less likely to be unemployed
In Lesotho, 28.1% of adults are unemployed as of 2014. In Zambia, that number is 15.0% as of 2008.
pay a 16.7% higher top tax rate
Lesotho has a top tax rate of 30.0% as of 2016. In Zambia, the top tax rate is 35.0% as of 2016.
Life
be 60.8% less likely to die during childbirth
In Lesotho, approximately 544.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Zambia, 213.0 women do as of 2017.
be 23.4% less likely to die during infancy
In Lesotho, approximately 48.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Zambia, on the other hand, 37.1 children do as of 2022.
have 50.6% more children
In Lesotho, there are approximately 23.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Zambia, there are 34.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.
Basic Needs
be 53.5% less likely to have internet access
In Lesotho, approximately 43.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In Zambia, about 20.0% do as of 2020.
be 13.3% less likely to have access to improved drinking water
In Lesotho, approximately 83% of people have improved drinking water access (96% in urban areas, and 77% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Zambia, that number is 72% of people on average (90% in urban areas, and 57% in rural areas) as of 2020.
Expenditures
spend 39.2% less on education
Lesotho spends 7.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Zambia spends 4.5% of total GDP on education as of 2019.
spend 53.1% less on healthcare
Lesotho spends 11.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Zambia, that number is 5.3% of GDP as of 2019.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance, Zambia Revenue Authority.
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to Lesotho? See an in-depth size comparison.