Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of Mexico, you would:
Health
be 69.0% less likely to be obese
In Mexico, 37.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.
be 18.8 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Mexico, 0.5% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 9.4% of people as of 2024.
live 8.7 years less
In Mexico, the average life expectancy is 75 years (72 years for men, 78 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 82.2% less spent on your healthcare
Mexico spends $1,368 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.
have 87.5% fewer doctors per person
Mexico has 25.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.
have 25.3% less access to essential health services
Mexico scores 75 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Zambia scores 56 as of 2021.
Economy
be 2.2 times more likely to be unemployed
In Mexico, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zambia, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
be 2.0 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Mexico, 29.6% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Zambia, however, that number is 60.0% as of 2022.
make 90.5% less money
Mexico has a GDP per capita of $13,889 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.1 times more children
In Mexico, there are approximately 15.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zambia, there are 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.0 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Mexico, approximately 42.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Zambia, 85.0 women do as of 2023.
be 24.9% less likely to be literate
In Mexico, the literacy rate is 95.5% as of 2024. In Zambia, it is 71.8% as of 2024.
be 2.9 times more likely to die during infancy
In Mexico, approximately 12.1 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 48.7% less likely to have access to electricity
In Mexico, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 99% 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 79.4% less likely to have internet access
In Mexico, approximately 83.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.
be 26.3% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Mexico, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 97% 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 42.5% more likely to die in a road accident
In Mexico, road accidents kill 12.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zambia, they kill 17.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 93.7% less strain on fresh water
Mexico withdraws 45% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zambia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
find 96.4% less home broadband
Mexico has 21.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.
use 72.7% less electricity
Mexico uses 2,658 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Zambia uses 727 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 85.2% less CO2
Mexico emits 3.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.
be 66.7% more likely to die from air pollution
In Mexico, air pollution causes 30.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zambia, it causes 50.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Mexico vs. Zambia
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to Mexico? See an in-depth size comparison.