Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zimbabwe instead of Namibia, you would:
Health
be 19.4% less likely to be obese
In Namibia, 18.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, that number is 14.7% of people as of 2024.
live 4.5 years less
In Namibia, the average life expectancy is 68 years (63 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, that number is 63 years (60 years for men, 65 years for women) as of 2024.
see 90.3% less spent on your healthcare
Namibia spends $1,068 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zimbabwe spends $103 as of 2023.
have 75.4% fewer doctors per person
Namibia has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Zimbabwe has 1.4 as of 2023.
have 12.7% less access to essential health services
Namibia scores 63 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Zimbabwe scores 55 as of 2021.
be 2.0 times more likely to die by suicide
Namibia has a suicide rate of 8.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zimbabwe, it is 17.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 51.8% less likely to be unemployed
In Namibia, 19.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zimbabwe, that number is 9.3% as of 2025.
make 38.0% less money
Namibia has a GDP per capita of $4,876 as of 2025, while in Zimbabwe, the GDP per capita is $3,021 as of 2025.
Life
have 15.4% more children
In Namibia, there are approximately 25.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, there are 29.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.6 times more 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 Zimbabwe, 358.0 women do as of 2023.
be 71.4% more likely to die during infancy
In Namibia, approximately 36.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, on the other hand, 62.4 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 35.8% less likely to have internet access
In Namibia, approximately 64.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, about 41.6% do as of 2024.
be 22.3% 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 Zimbabwe, that number is 67% of people on average (94% in urban areas, and 54% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 95.8% less on education
Namibia spends 9.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Zimbabwe spends 0.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 69.1% less on healthcare
Namibia spends 9.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zimbabwe, that number is 2.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 39.7% less likely to be murdered
Namibia has a homicide rate of 11.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zimbabwe, that number is 6.8 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 35.9% more likely to die in a road accident
In Namibia, road accidents kill 22.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zimbabwe, they kill 29.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 31.4% less home broadband
Namibia has 2.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Zimbabwe has 1.9 as of 2024.
live with 148.7 times more strain on fresh water
Namibia withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zimbabwe withdraws 46% as of 2022.
use 59.1% less electricity
Namibia uses 1,232 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Zimbabwe uses 504 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 35.8% less CO2
Namibia emits 1.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Zimbabwe emits 0.8 tonnes as of 2024.
be 30.2% more likely to die from air pollution
In Namibia, air pollution causes 43.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zimbabwe, it causes 56.0 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. Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: At a glance
How big is Zimbabwe compared to Namibia? See an in-depth size comparison.