Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of Saudi Arabia, you would:
Health
be 71.1% less likely to be obese
In Saudi Arabia, 40.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.
be 94.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Saudi Arabia, 0.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 9.4% of people as of 2024.
live 12.5 years less
In Saudi Arabia, the average life expectancy is 79 years (77 years for men, 81 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 93.0% less spent on your healthcare
Saudi Arabia spends $3,475 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.
have 90.5% fewer doctors per person
Saudi Arabia has 34.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.
have 24.3% less access to essential health services
Saudi Arabia scores 74 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Zambia scores 56 as of 2021.
be 7.5 times more likely to die by suicide
Saudi Arabia 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 94.7% more likely to be unemployed
In Saudi Arabia, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zambia, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
make 96.2% less money
Saudi Arabia has a GDP per capita of $34,537 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.
Life
have 98.3% more children
In Saudi Arabia, there are approximately 16.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zambia, there are 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 12.1 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Saudi Arabia, approximately 7.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Zambia, 85.0 women do as of 2023.
be 26.7% less likely to be literate
In Saudi Arabia, the literacy rate is 97.9% as of 2024. In Zambia, it is 71.8% as of 2024.
be 7.4 times more likely to die during infancy
In Saudi Arabia, approximately 4.7 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 48.9% less likely to have access to electricity
In Saudi Arabia, 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 82.9% less likely to have internet access
In Saudi Arabia, approximately 100.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.
be 25.9% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Saudi Arabia, approximately 99% of people have access to drinking water (99% in urban areas, and 100% 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.
Infrastructure
live with 99.7% less strain on fresh water
Saudi Arabia withdraws 974% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zambia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
find 98.2% less home broadband
Saudi Arabia has 44.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.
use 93.9% less electricity
Saudi Arabia uses 11,911 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Zambia uses 727 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 45.1% less likely to die from air pollution
In Saudi Arabia, air pollution causes 91.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zambia, it causes 50.0 as of 2019.
emit 97.1% less CO2
Saudi Arabia emits 18.5 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: Saudi Arabia vs. Zambia
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to Saudi Arabia? See an in-depth size comparison.