Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of Moldova, you would:
Health
be 48.0% less likely to be obese
In Moldova, 22.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.
be 49.6% less likely to die by suicide
Moldova has a suicide rate of 14.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 7.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 10.4 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Moldova, 0.9% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 9.4% of people as of 2024.
live 4.8 years less
In Moldova, the average life expectancy is 71 years (67 years for men, 76 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 79.4% less spent on your healthcare
Moldova spends $1,181 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.
have 91.9% fewer doctors per person
Moldova has 40.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.
have 21.1% less access to essential health services
Moldova scores 71 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Zambia scores 56 as of 2021.
Economy
be 3.9 times more likely to be unemployed
In Moldova, 1.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zambia, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
be 78.6% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Moldova, 33.6% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Zambia, however, that number is 60.0% as of 2022.
make 84.7% less money
Moldova has a GDP per capita of $8,622 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.
Life
have 3.1 times more children
In Moldova, there are approximately 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zambia, there are 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 4.5 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Moldova, approximately 19.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Zambia, 85.0 women do as of 2023.
be 27.9% less likely to be literate
In Moldova, the literacy rate is 99.6% as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 71.8% as of 2024.
be 2.3 times more likely to die during infancy
In Moldova, approximately 15.1 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 48.9% less likely to have access to electricity
In Moldova, 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 77.9% less likely to have internet access
In Moldova, approximately 77.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.
be 20.8% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Moldova, approximately 93% of people have access to drinking water (98% in urban areas, and 89% 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 38.0% less on education
Moldova spends 6.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Zambia spends 4.1% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 11.3% less on healthcare
Moldova spends 6.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zambia, that number is 6.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 87.9% more likely to die in a road accident
In Moldova, road accidents kill 9.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zambia, they kill 17.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 77.4% less strain on fresh water
Moldova withdraws 13% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zambia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
find 97.3% less home broadband
Moldova has 29.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.
use 69.9% less electricity
Moldova uses 2,412 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Zambia uses 727 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 13.8% less likely to die from air pollution
In Moldova, air pollution causes 58.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zambia, it causes 50.0 as of 2019.
emit 84.2% less CO2
Moldova emits 3.4 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), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Moldova vs. Zambia
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to Moldova? See an in-depth size comparison.