Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of Macedonia, you would:
Health
be 56.8% less likely to be obese
In Macedonia, 26.8% 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 Macedonia, 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 10.1 years less
In Macedonia, the average life expectancy is 77 years (74 years for men, 79 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 86.5% less spent on your healthcare
Macedonia spends $1,808 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.
have 89.0% fewer doctors per person
Macedonia has 29.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.
have 24.3% less access to essential health services
Macedonia scores 74 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Zambia scores 56 as of 2021.
be 23.4% more likely to die by suicide
Macedonia has a suicide rate of 5.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 7.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 51.7% less likely to be unemployed
In Macedonia, 12.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zambia, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
be 2.7 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Macedonia, 21.9% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Zambia, however, that number is 60.0% as of 2022.
make 87.4% less money
Macedonia has a GDP per capita of $10,490 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.
Life
have 3.7 times more children
In Macedonia, there are approximately 8.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zambia, there are 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 28.3 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Macedonia, approximately 3.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Zambia, 85.0 women do as of 2023.
be 13.8 times more likely to die during infancy
In Macedonia, approximately 2.5 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 48.9% less likely to have access to electricity
In Macedonia, 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 81.6% less likely to have internet access
In Macedonia, approximately 93.1% of the population has internet access as of 2025. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.
be 25.2% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Macedonia, approximately 98% of people have access to drinking water (98% in urban areas, and 98% 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 19.5% less on healthcare
Macedonia spends 7.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zambia, that number is 6.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 3.0 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Macedonia, road accidents kill 5.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zambia, they kill 17.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 94.6% less strain on fresh water
Macedonia withdraws 53% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zambia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
find 97.4% less home broadband
Macedonia has 29.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.
use 78.1% less electricity
Macedonia uses 3,320 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Zambia uses 727 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 19.4% less likely to die from air pollution
In Macedonia, air pollution causes 62.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zambia, it causes 50.0 as of 2019.
emit 86.5% less CO2
Macedonia emits 4.0 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: Macedonia vs. Zambia
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to Macedonia? See an in-depth size comparison.