Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of Peru, you would:
Health
be 60.3% less likely to be obese
In Peru, 29.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.
be 23.5 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Peru, 0.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 9.4% of people as of 2024.
live 11.4 years less
In Peru, the average life expectancy is 78 years (76 years for men, 80 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 74.5% less spent on your healthcare
Peru spends $956 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.
have 80.8% fewer doctors per person
Peru has 16.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.
have 21.1% less access to essential health services
Peru scores 71 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Zambia scores 56 as of 2021.
be 4.6 times more likely to die by suicide
Peru has a suicide rate of 1.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 7.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 15.6% more likely to be unemployed
In Peru, 5.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zambia, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
be 2.3 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Peru, 25.7% live below the poverty line as of 2025. In Zambia, however, that number is 60.0% as of 2022.
make 86.4% less money
Peru has a GDP per capita of $9,684 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.1 times more children
In Peru, there are approximately 15.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zambia, there are 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 66.7% more likely to die during childbirth
In Peru, approximately 51.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Zambia, 85.0 women do as of 2023.
be 23.4% less likely to be literate
In Peru, the literacy rate is 93.7% as of 2024. In Zambia, it is 71.8% as of 2024.
be 3.1 times more likely to die during infancy
In Peru, approximately 11.0 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.
Basic Needs
be 46.9% less likely to have access to electricity
In Peru, approximately 96% of people have electricity access (99% in urban areas, and 85% 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 79.1% less likely to have internet access
In Peru, approximately 82.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.
be 23.2% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Peru, approximately 96% of people have access to drinking water (98% in urban areas, and 87% 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.
Safety
be 34.6% more likely to die in a road accident
In Peru, road accidents kill 12.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zambia, they kill 17.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 41.2% less strain on fresh water
Peru withdraws 5% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zambia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
find 93.2% less home broadband
Peru has 11.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.
use 54.4% less electricity
Peru uses 1,595 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Zambia uses 727 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 73.3% less CO2
Peru emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.
be 92.3% more likely to die from air pollution
In Peru, air pollution causes 26.0 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: Peru vs. Zambia
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to Peru? See an in-depth size comparison.