Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Zambia instead of New York, you would:

Health

be 61.3% less likely to be obese

In New York, 29.9% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Zambia, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

be 34.5% more likely to be unemployed

In New York, 4.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zambia, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.

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be 4.5 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In New York, 13.3% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Zambia, however, that number is 60.0% as of 2022.

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make 98.6% less money

New York has a GDP per capita of $91,992 as of 2024, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.

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Basic Needs

be 80.9% less likely to have internet access

In New York, approximately 89.7% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), World Health Organization (2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024). How we calculate this

Compare further: New York vs. Zambia

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Zambia is 68.8% cheaper than New York
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Size Comparison · See true size
New York is about 6 times smaller than Zambia.
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Moving from New York to Zambia · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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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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How big is Zambia compared to New York? See an in-depth size comparison.

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