Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of Nigeria, you would:
Health
live 4.9 years longer
In Nigeria, the average life expectancy is 61 years (60 years for men, 63 years for women) as of 2022. In Zambia, that number is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2022.
be 8.5 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Nigeria, 1.3% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Zambia, that number is 11.1% of people as of 2020.
Economy
make 32.7% less money
Nigeria has a GDP per capita of $4,900 as of 2020, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $3,300 as of 2020.
be 35.7% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Nigeria, 40.1% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Zambia, however, that number is 54.4% as of 2015.
pay a 45.8% higher top tax rate
Nigeria has a top tax rate of 24.0% as of 2016. In Zambia, the top tax rate is 35.0% as of 2016.
Life
be 76.8% less likely to die during childbirth
In Nigeria, approximately 917.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Zambia, 213.0 women do as of 2017.
be 39.8% more likely to be literate
In Nigeria, the literacy rate is 62.0% as of 2018. In Zambia, it is 86.7% as of 2018.
be 34.5% less likely to die during infancy
In Nigeria, approximately 56.7 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Zambia, on the other hand, 37.1 children do as of 2022.
Basic Needs
be 40.3% less likely to have access to electricity
In Nigeria, approximately 62% of people have electricity access (91% in urban areas, and 30% in rural areas) as of 2019. In Zambia, that number is 37% of people on average (76% in urban areas, and 6% in rural areas) as of 2019.
be 44.4% less likely to have internet access
In Nigeria, approximately 36.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In Zambia, about 20.0% do as of 2020.
be 13.3% less likely to have access to improved drinking water
In Nigeria, approximately 83% of people have improved drinking water access (95% in urban areas, and 69% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Zambia, that number is 72% of people on average (90% in urban areas, and 57% in rural areas) as of 2020.
Expenditures
spend 76.7% more on healthcare
Nigeria spends 3.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Zambia, that number is 5.3% of GDP as of 2019.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Zambia Revenue Authority, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Nigeria.
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to Nigeria? See an in-depth size comparison.