Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of Sao Tome and Principe, you would:
Health
be 35.4% less likely to be obese
In Sao Tome and Principe, 17.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.
live 3.4 years less
In Sao Tome and Principe, the average life expectancy is 70 years (66 years for men, 74 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 31.3% less spent on your healthcare
Sao Tome and Principe spends $355 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.
have 30.2% fewer doctors per person
Sao Tome and Principe has 4.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.
be 8.3 times more likely to die by suicide
Sao Tome and Principe has a suicide rate of 0.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 7.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 35.2% less likely to be unemployed
In Sao Tome and Principe, 9.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zambia, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
make 67.7% less money
Sao Tome and Principe has a GDP per capita of $4,084 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.
Life
have 16.5% more children
In Sao Tome and Principe, 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 24.3% less likely to be literate
In Sao Tome and Principe, the literacy rate is 94.8% as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 71.8% as of 2024.
be 3.8 times more likely to die during infancy
In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 9.2 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 37.1% less likely to have access to electricity
In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 81% of people have electricity access (82% in urban areas, and 70% 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 71.1% less likely to have internet access
In Sao Tome and Principe, approximately 59.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 19.1% less on education
Sao Tome and Principe spends 5.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Zambia spends 4.1% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Safety
be 46.2% more likely to die in a road accident
In Sao Tome and Principe, road accidents kill 11.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zambia, they kill 17.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 73.6% less home broadband
Sao Tome and Principe has 3.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.
live with 51.1% more strain on fresh water
Sao Tome and Principe withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zambia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
Environment
be 41.2% less likely to die from air pollution
In Sao Tome and Principe, air pollution causes 85.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zambia, it causes 50.0 as of 2019.
emit 14.3% less CO2
Sao Tome and Principe emits 0.6 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), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Sao Tome and Principe vs. Zambia
MORE COMPARISONS
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to Sao Tome and Principe? See an in-depth size comparison.