Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of Sri Lanka, you would:
Health
be 51.6% less likely to die by suicide
Sri Lanka has a suicide rate of 14.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 7.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 94.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Sri Lanka, 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 11.1 years less
In Sri Lanka, the average life expectancy is 78 years (74 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 51.9% less spent on your healthcare
Sri Lanka spends $507 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.
have 71.5% fewer doctors per person
Sri Lanka has 11.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.
have 16.4% less access to essential health services
Sri Lanka scores 67 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Zambia scores 56 as of 2021.
Economy
be 48.0% more likely to be unemployed
In Sri Lanka, 4.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zambia, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
be 4.2 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Sri Lanka, 14.3% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Zambia, however, that number is 60.0% as of 2022.
make 73.7% less money
Sri Lanka has a GDP per capita of $5,002 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.
Life
have 3.2 times more children
In Sri Lanka, there are approximately 10.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zambia, there are 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 4.7 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Sri Lanka, approximately 18.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Zambia, 85.0 women do as of 2023.
be 22.6% less likely to be literate
In Sri Lanka, the literacy rate is 92.7% as of 2024. In Zambia, it is 71.8% as of 2024.
be 6.7 times more likely to die during infancy
In Sri Lanka, approximately 5.2 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 48.9% less likely to have access to electricity
In Sri Lanka, 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 68.7% less likely to have internet access
In Sri Lanka, approximately 54.6% 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 Sri Lanka, approximately 90% of people have access to drinking water (98% in urban areas, and 88% 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 2.2 times more on education
Sri Lanka spends 1.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Zambia spends 4.1% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 62.5% more on healthcare
Sri Lanka spends 3.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zambia, that number is 6.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 48.7% more likely to die in a road accident
In Sri Lanka, road accidents kill 11.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zambia, they kill 17.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 96.9% less strain on fresh water
Sri Lanka withdraws 91% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zambia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 12.8% more electricity
Sri Lanka uses 644 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Zambia uses 727 kWh as of 2023.
find 90.7% less home broadband
Sri Lanka has 8.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 49.1% less CO2
Sri Lanka emits 1.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.
be 35.1% more likely to die from air pollution
In Sri Lanka, air pollution causes 37.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zambia, it causes 50.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Sri Lanka vs. Zambia
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to Sri Lanka? See an in-depth size comparison.