Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of Russia, you would:
Health
be 34.2% less likely to be obese
In Russia, 17.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.
be 66.6% less likely to die by suicide
Russia has a suicide rate of 21.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 7.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 6.9 years less
In Russia, the average life expectancy is 73 years (68 years for men, 79 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 92.4% less spent on your healthcare
Russia spends $3,204 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.
have 93.7% fewer doctors per person
Russia has 51.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.
have 29.1% less access to essential health services
Russia scores 79 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Zambia scores 56 as of 2021.
Economy
be 2.8 times more likely to be unemployed
In Russia, 2.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zambia, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
be 8.3 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Russia, 7.2% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Zambia, however, that number is 60.0% as of 2022.
make 92.5% less money
Russia has a GDP per capita of $17,547 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.
Life
have 3.9 times more children
In Russia, there are approximately 8.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zambia, there are 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 9.4 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Russia, approximately 9.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Zambia, 85.0 women do as of 2023.
be 28.2% less likely to be literate
In Russia, the literacy rate is 99.9% as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 71.8% as of 2024.
be 8.4 times more likely to die during infancy
In Russia, approximately 4.1 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 48.9% less likely to have access to electricity
In Russia, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% 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 81.9% less likely to have internet access
In Russia, approximately 94.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.
be 24.2% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Russia, approximately 97% of people have access to drinking water (99% in urban areas, and 90% 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 15.1% less on healthcare
Russia spends 7.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zambia, that number is 6.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 61.3% more likely to die in a road accident
In Russia, road accidents kill 10.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zambia, they kill 17.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 31.1% less strain on fresh water
Russia withdraws 4% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zambia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
find 97.1% less home broadband
Russia has 27.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.
use 90.0% less electricity
Russia uses 7,285 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Zambia uses 727 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 96.1% less CO2
Russia emits 14.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.
be 28.2% more likely to die from air pollution
In Russia, air pollution causes 39.0 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: Russia vs. Zambia
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to Russia? See an in-depth size comparison.