If you lived in Zimbabwe instead of Romania, you would:

Health

be 54.6% less likely to be obese

In Romania, 32.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, that number is 14.7% of people as of 2024.

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be 49.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Romania, 0.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, that number is 9.8% of people as of 2024.

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live 13.4 years less

In Romania, the average life expectancy is 76 years (73 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, that number is 63 years (60 years for men, 65 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 96.1% less spent on your healthcare

Romania spends $2,614 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zimbabwe spends $103 as of 2023.

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have 96.2% fewer doctors per person

Romania has 36.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Zimbabwe has 1.4 as of 2023.

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have 29.5% less access to essential health services

Romania scores 78 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Zimbabwe scores 55 as of 2021.

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be 80.2% more likely to die by suicide

Romania has a suicide rate of 9.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zimbabwe, it is 17.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 55.1% more likely to be unemployed

In Romania, 6.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zimbabwe, that number is 9.3% as of 2025.

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make 86.6% less money

Romania has a GDP per capita of $22,538 as of 2025, while in Zimbabwe, the GDP per capita is $3,021 as of 2025.

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Life

have 4.0 times more children

In Romania, there are approximately 7.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, there are 29.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 29.8 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Romania, approximately 12.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Zimbabwe, 358.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 10.4 times more likely to die during infancy

In Romania, approximately 6.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, on the other hand, 62.4 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 38.0% less likely to have access to electricity

In Romania, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Zimbabwe, that number is 62% of people on average (84% in urban areas, and 51% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 54.4% less likely to have internet access

In Romania, approximately 91.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, about 41.6% do as of 2024.

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be 32.8% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Romania, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, that number is 67% of people on average (94% in urban areas, and 54% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 88.4% less on education

Romania spends 3.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Zimbabwe spends 0.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 48.7% less on healthcare

Romania spends 5.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zimbabwe, that number is 2.9% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 6.1 times more likely to be murdered

Romania has a homicide rate of 1.1 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Zimbabwe, that number is 6.8 per 100,000 as of 2022.

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be 3.1 times more likely to die in a road accident

In Romania, road accidents kill 9.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zimbabwe, they kill 29.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 94.6% less home broadband

Romania has 35.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Zimbabwe has 1.9 as of 2024.

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live with 6.0 times more strain on fresh water

Romania withdraws 8% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zimbabwe withdraws 46% as of 2022.

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use 80.5% less electricity

Romania uses 2,585 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Zimbabwe uses 504 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 79.3% less CO2

Romania emits 3.7 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Zimbabwe emits 0.8 tonnes as of 2024.

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be 21.7% more likely to die from air pollution

In Romania, air pollution causes 46.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zimbabwe, it causes 56.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Zimbabwe: At a glance

Zimbabwe is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 386,847 sq km. The UK annexed Southern Rhodesia from the [British] South Africa Company in 1923. A 1961 constitution was formulated that favored whites in power. In 1965 the government unilaterally declared its independence, but the UK did not recognize the act and demanded more complete voting rights for the black African majority in the country (then called Rhodesia). UN sanctions and a guerrilla uprising finally led to free elections in 1979 and independence (as Zimbabwe) in 1980. Robert MUGABE, the nation's first prime minister, has been the country's only ruler (as president since 1987) and has dominated the country's political system since independence. His chaotic land redistribution campaign, which began in 1997 and intensified after 2000, caused an exodus of white farmers, crippled the economy, and ushered in widespread shortages of basic commodities. Ignoring international condemnation, MUGABE rigged the 2002 presidential election to ensure his reelection. In April 2005, the capital city of Harare embarked on Operation Restore Order, ostensibly an urban rationalization program, which resulted in the destruction of the homes or businesses of 700,000 mostly poor supporters of the opposition. President MUGABE in June 2007 instituted price controls on all basic commodities causing panic buying and leaving store shelves empty for months; a period of increasing hyperinflation ensued. General elections held in March 2008 contained irregularities but still amounted to a censure of the ZANU-PF-led government with the opposition winning a majority of seats in parliament. MDC-T opposition leader Morgan TSVANGIRAI won the most votes in the presidential polls, but not enough to win outright. In the lead up to a run-off election in late June 2008, considerable violence enacted against opposition party members led to the withdrawal of TSVANGIRAI from the ballot. Extensive evidence of violence and intimidation resulted in international condemnation of the process. Difficult negotiations over a power-sharing "government of national unity," in which MUGABE remained president and TSVANGIRAI became prime minister, were finally settled in February 2009, although the leaders failed to agree upon many key outstanding governmental issues. MUGABE was reelected president in June 2013 in balloting that was severely flawed and internationally condemned. As a prerequisite to holding the elections, Zimbabwe enacted a new constitution by referendum, although many provisions in the new constitution have yet to be codified in law.
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