Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of Philippines, you would:
Health
be 31.3 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Philippines, 0.3% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 9.4% of people as of 2024.
live 3.4 years less
In Philippines, the average life expectancy is 70 years (67 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 67 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024.
be 20.4% more likely to be obese
In Philippines, 9.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.
see 56.5% less spent on your healthcare
Philippines spends $560 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.
have 59.1% fewer doctors per person
Philippines has 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.
be 2.0 times more likely to die by suicide
Philippines has a suicide rate of 3.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 7.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 2.7 times more likely to be unemployed
In Philippines, 2.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zambia, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
be 6.2 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Philippines, 9.7% live below the poverty line as of 2025. In Zambia, however, that number is 60.0% as of 2022.
make 68.4% less money
Philippines has a GDP per capita of $4,171 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.1 times more children
In Philippines, there are approximately 15.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zambia, there are 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 59.4% more likely to die during infancy
In Philippines, approximately 21.7 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 47.9% less likely to have access to electricity
In Philippines, approximately 98% of people have electricity access (98% in urban areas, and 98% 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 74.6% less likely to have internet access
In Philippines, approximately 67.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.
be 23.4% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Philippines, approximately 96% of people have access to drinking water (98% in urban areas, and 94% 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 17.3% more on healthcare
Philippines spends 5.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zambia, that number is 6.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 76.3% more likely to die in a road accident
In Philippines, road accidents kill 9.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zambia, they kill 17.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 89.8% less strain on fresh water
Philippines withdraws 28% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zambia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
find 88.9% less home broadband
Philippines has 7.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.
use 21.4% less electricity
Philippines uses 925 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Zambia uses 727 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 45.7% less likely to die from air pollution
In Philippines, air pollution causes 92.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zambia, it causes 50.0 as of 2019.
emit 64.0% less CO2
Philippines emits 1.5 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: Philippines vs. Zambia
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to Philippines? See an in-depth size comparison.