Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of Rwanda, you would:
Health
see 37.7% more spent on your healthcare
Rwanda spends $177 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.
have 3.6 times more doctors per person
Rwanda has 0.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.
have 14.3% more access to essential health services
Rwanda scores 49 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Zambia scores 56 as of 2021.
be 17.9% less likely to die by suicide
Rwanda has a suicide rate of 8.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 7.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 4.7 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Rwanda, 2.0% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 9.4% of people as of 2024.
live 1.5 years less
In Rwanda, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 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.
be 2.1 times more likely to be obese
In Rwanda, 5.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 47.9% less likely to be unemployed
In Rwanda, 11.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zambia, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
make 17.3% more money
Rwanda has a GDP per capita of $1,124 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.
be 2.2 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Rwanda, 27.4% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Zambia, however, that number is 60.0% as of 2022.
Life
be 62.9% less likely to die during childbirth
In Rwanda, approximately 229.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Zambia, 85.0 women do as of 2023.
have 16.6% more children
In Rwanda, there are approximately 28.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zambia, there are 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 17.7% more likely to die during infancy
In Rwanda, approximately 29.4 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 19.6% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Rwanda, approximately 61% of people have access to drinking water (88% in urban areas, and 56% 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.
be 20.0% less likely to have access to electricity
In Rwanda, approximately 64% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 58% 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 46.1% less likely to have internet access
In Rwanda, approximately 31.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 11.7% less on education
Rwanda spends 4.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Zambia spends 4.1% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 16.6% more on healthcare
Rwanda 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 47.4% more likely to die in a road accident
In Rwanda, road accidents kill 11.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zambia, they kill 17.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 31.7% more home broadband
Rwanda has 0.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.
live with 85.9% less strain on fresh water
Rwanda withdraws 20% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zambia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 9.5 times more electricity
Rwanda uses 77 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Zambia uses 727 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 19.4% less likely to die from air pollution
In Rwanda, air pollution causes 62.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zambia, it causes 50.0 as of 2019.
emit 3.4 times more CO2
Rwanda emits 0.2 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: Rwanda vs. Zambia
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to Rwanda? See an in-depth size comparison.