Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of Pakistan, you would:
Health
be 52.8% less likely to be obese
In Pakistan, 24.5% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.
see 60.2% more spent on your healthcare
Pakistan spends $152 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.
have 24.4% more access to essential health services
Pakistan scores 45 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Zambia scores 56 as of 2021.
be 47.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Pakistan, 0.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 9.4% of people as of 2024.
live 1.3 years less
In Pakistan, the average life expectancy is 68 years (65 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 67 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024.
have 72.1% fewer doctors per person
Pakistan has 11.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.
be 26.4% more likely to die by suicide
Pakistan has a suicide rate of 5.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 7.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 2.1 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Pakistan, 28.9% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Zambia, however, that number is 60.0% as of 2022.
make 17.4% less money
Pakistan has a GDP per capita of $1,596 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.
Life
be 45.2% less likely to die during childbirth
In Pakistan, approximately 155.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Zambia, 85.0 women do as of 2023.
be 21.9% more likely to be literate
In Pakistan, the literacy rate is 58.9% as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 71.8% as of 2024.
be 28.2% less likely to die during infancy
In Pakistan, approximately 48.2 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.
have 19.4% more children
In Pakistan, there are approximately 27.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zambia, there are 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 46.5% less likely to have access to electricity
In Pakistan, approximately 96% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 93% 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.
be 70.1% less likely to have internet access
In Pakistan, approximately 57.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.
be 19.1% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Pakistan, approximately 91% of people have access to drinking water (93% in urban areas, and 89% 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 2.1 times more on education
Pakistan spends 1.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Zambia spends 4.1% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 2.4 times more on healthcare
Pakistan spends 2.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zambia, that number is 6.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 43.7% more likely to die in a road accident
In Pakistan, road accidents kill 11.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zambia, they kill 17.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 97.4% less strain on fresh water
Pakistan withdraws 110% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zambia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 40.2% more electricity
Pakistan uses 518 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Zambia uses 727 kWh as of 2023.
find 46.3% less home broadband
Pakistan has 1.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.
Environment
be 52.4% less likely to die from air pollution
In Pakistan, air pollution causes 105.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zambia, it causes 50.0 as of 2019.
emit 33.3% less CO2
Pakistan emits 0.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Pakistan vs. Zambia
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to Pakistan? See an in-depth size comparison.