Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of Namibia, you would:
Health
be 36.6% less likely to be obese
In Namibia, 18.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.
be 17.0% less likely to die by suicide
Namibia has a suicide rate of 8.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 7.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 1.0 years less
In Namibia, the average life expectancy is 68 years (63 years for men, 71 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 77.2% less spent on your healthcare
Namibia spends $1,068 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.
have 41.4% fewer doctors per person
Namibia has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.
have 11.1% less access to essential health services
Namibia scores 63 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Zambia scores 56 as of 2021.
Economy
be 69.3% less likely to be unemployed
In Namibia, 19.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zambia, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
make 73.0% less money
Namibia has a GDP per capita of $4,876 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.
Life
be 38.8% less likely to die during childbirth
In Namibia, approximately 139.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Zambia, 85.0 women do as of 2023.
have 26.4% more children
In Namibia, there are approximately 25.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zambia, there are 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 18.1% less likely to be literate
In Namibia, the literacy rate is 87.6% as of 2023. In Zambia, it is 71.8% as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 73.6% less likely to have internet access
In Namibia, approximately 64.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.
be 15.1% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Namibia, approximately 87% of people have access to drinking water (96% in urban areas, and 74% 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 55.2% less on education
Namibia spends 9.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Zambia spends 4.1% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 36.9% less on healthcare
Namibia spends 9.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zambia, that number is 6.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 22.3% less likely to die in a road accident
In Namibia, road accidents kill 22.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zambia, they kill 17.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 72.1% less home broadband
Namibia has 2.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.
live with 9.2 times more strain on fresh water
Namibia withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zambia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 41.0% less electricity
Namibia uses 1,232 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Zambia uses 727 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 55.0% less CO2
Namibia emits 1.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.
be 16.3% more likely to die from air pollution
In Namibia, air pollution causes 43.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zambia, it causes 50.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Namibia vs. Zambia
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to Namibia? See an in-depth size comparison.