Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of Marshall Islands, you would:
Health
be 72.4% less likely to be obese
In Marshall Islands, 42.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.
see 72.1% less spent on your healthcare
Marshall Islands spends $874 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.
Economy
be 8.3 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Marshall Islands, 7.2% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Zambia, however, that number is 60.0% as of 2022.
make 84.5% less money
Marshall Islands has a GDP per capita of $8,489 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.
Life
be 45.2% less likely to die during childbirth
In Marshall Islands, approximately 155.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Zambia, 85.0 women do as of 2023.
have 62.9% more children
In Marshall Islands, there are approximately 20.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zambia, there are 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 25.1% less likely to be literate
In Marshall Islands, the literacy rate is 95.8% as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 71.8% as of 2024.
be 52.4% more likely to die during infancy
In Marshall Islands, approximately 22.7 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 Marshall Islands, 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 74.1% less likely to have internet access
In Marshall Islands, approximately 65.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.
be 16.0% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Marshall Islands, approximately 87% of people have access to drinking water (86% in urban areas, and 94% 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 47.1% less on education
Marshall Islands spends 7.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Zambia spends 4.1% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 55.4% less on healthcare
Marshall Islands spends 13.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zambia, that number is 6.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 43.7% more likely to die in a road accident
In Marshall Islands, road accidents kill 11.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zambia, they kill 17.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 66.4% less home broadband
Marshall Islands has 2.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Marshall Islands vs. Zambia
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to Marshall Islands? See an in-depth size comparison.