If you lived in Zambia instead of Mozambique, you would:

Health

be 18.3% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Mozambique, 11.5% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 9.4% of people as of 2024.

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live 2.7 years longer

In Mozambique, the average life expectancy is 64 years (60 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 67 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 70.9% more spent on your healthcare

Mozambique spends $143 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.

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have 85.1% more doctors per person

Mozambique has 1.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.

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have 27.3% more access to essential health services

Mozambique scores 44 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Zambia scores 56 as of 2021.

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be 32.8% less likely to die by suicide

Mozambique has a suicide rate of 10.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 7.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 10.7% less likely to be unemployed

In Mozambique, 6.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zambia, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.

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make 2.1 times more money

Mozambique has a GDP per capita of $627 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.

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Life

be 16.4% more likely to be literate

In Mozambique, the literacy rate is 61.7% as of 2022. In Zambia, it is 71.8% as of 2024.

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be 20.8% less likely to die during infancy

In Mozambique, approximately 43.7 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.

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have 11.6% fewer children

In Mozambique, there are approximately 37.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zambia, there are 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 41.9% more likely to have access to electricity

In Mozambique, approximately 36% of people have electricity access (79% in urban areas, and 9% 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.

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be 10.2% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Mozambique, approximately 67% of people have access to drinking water (89% in urban areas, and 52% 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.

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be 16.7% less likely to have internet access

In Mozambique, approximately 20.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 31.9% less on education

Mozambique spends 6.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Zambia spends 4.1% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 29.6% less on healthcare

Mozambique spends 8.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zambia, that number is 6.0% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 14.9% less likely to die in a road accident

In Mozambique, road accidents kill 20.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zambia, they kill 17.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 5.6 times more home broadband

Mozambique has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.

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use 86.0% more electricity

Mozambique uses 391 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Zambia uses 727 kWh as of 2023.

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live with 62.3% more strain on fresh water

Mozambique withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zambia withdraws 3% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 21.9% less likely to die from air pollution

In Mozambique, air pollution causes 64.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zambia, it causes 50.0 as of 2019.

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emit 86.2% more CO2

Mozambique emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021). How we calculate this

Zambia: At a glance

Zambia is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 743,398 sq km. The territory of Northern Rhodesia was administered by the [British] South Africa Company from 1891 until it was taken over by the UK in 1923. During the 1920s and 1930s, advances in mining spurred development and immigration. The name was changed to Zambia upon independence in 1964. In the 1980s and 1990s, declining copper prices, economic mismanagement and a prolonged drought hurt the economy. Elections in 1991 brought an end to one-party rule, but the subsequent vote in 1996 saw blatant harassment of opposition parties. The election in 2001 was marked by administrative problems with three parties filing a legal petition challenging the election of ruling party candidate Levy MWANAWASA. MWANAWASA was reelected in 2006 in an election that was deemed free and fair. Upon his abrupt death in August 2008, he was succeeded by his vice president, Rupiah BANDA, who subsequently won a special presidential by-election in October 2008. Michael SATA was elected president in September 2011.
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