Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of South Africa, you would:
Health
be 45.3% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In South Africa, 17.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 9.4% of people as of 2024.
be 63.6% less likely to be obese
In South Africa, 31.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.
be 68.0% less likely to die by suicide
South Africa has a suicide rate of 22.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 7.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
see 82.0% less spent on your healthcare
South Africa spends $1,354 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.
have 59.2% fewer doctors per person
South Africa has 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.
have 21.1% less access to essential health services
South Africa scores 71 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Zambia scores 56 as of 2021.
Economy
be 81.7% less likely to be unemployed
In South Africa, 32.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zambia, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
be 58.3% more likely to live below the poverty line
In South Africa, 37.9% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Zambia, however, that number is 60.0% as of 2022.
make 80.0% less money
South Africa has a GDP per capita of $6,598 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.
Life
be 28.0% less likely to die during childbirth
In South Africa, approximately 118.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Zambia, 85.0 women do as of 2023.
have 77.1% more children
In South Africa, there are approximately 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zambia, there are 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 21.3% less likely to be literate
In South Africa, the literacy rate is 91.2% as of 2024. In Zambia, it is 71.8% as of 2024.
be 43.0% more likely to die during infancy
In South Africa, approximately 24.2 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 41.7% less likely to have access to electricity
In South Africa, approximately 88% of people have electricity access (91% in urban areas, and 94% 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 78.2% less likely to have internet access
In South Africa, approximately 78.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.
be 18.6% less likely to have access to drinking water
In South Africa, approximately 90% of people have access to drinking water (98% in urban areas, and 73% 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 32.4% less on education
South Africa spends 6.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Zambia spends 4.1% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 32.9% less on healthcare
South Africa spends 8.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zambia, that number is 6.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 30.2% less likely to die in a road accident
In South Africa, road accidents kill 24.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zambia, they kill 17.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 95.8% less strain on fresh water
South Africa withdraws 68% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zambia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
find 85.2% less home broadband
South Africa has 5.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.
use 77.6% less electricity
South Africa uses 3,247 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Zambia uses 727 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 92.2% less CO2
South Africa emits 6.9 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 (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: South Africa vs. Zambia
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.