Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of Tanzania, you would:
Health
see 2.0 times more spent on your healthcare
Tanzania spends $119 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.
have 2.4 times more doctors per person
Tanzania has 1.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.
have 30.2% more access to essential health services
Tanzania scores 43 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Zambia scores 56 as of 2021.
be 2.7 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Tanzania, 3.5% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 9.4% of people as of 2024.
live 0.7 years less
In Tanzania, the average life expectancy is 67 years (64 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 39.8% more likely to die by suicide
Tanzania has a suicide rate of 5.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 7.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 3.8 times more likely to be unemployed
In Tanzania, 1.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zambia, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
Life
be 69.2% less likely to die during childbirth
In Tanzania, approximately 276.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Zambia, 85.0 women do as of 2023.
be 20.6% more likely to die during infancy
In Tanzania, approximately 28.7 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 13.6% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Tanzania, approximately 65% of people have access to drinking water (86% in urban areas, and 51% 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 45.1% less likely to have internet access
In Tanzania, approximately 31.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 28.8% more on education
Tanzania spends 3.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Zambia spends 4.1% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 96.1% more on healthcare
Tanzania spends 3.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zambia, that number is 6.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 3.2 times more home broadband
Tanzania has 0.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.
live with 78.1% less strain on fresh water
Tanzania withdraws 13% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zambia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 5.4 times more electricity
Tanzania uses 135 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Zambia uses 727 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 38.9% more likely to die from air pollution
In Tanzania, air pollution causes 36.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zambia, it causes 50.0 as of 2019.
emit 74.2% more CO2
Tanzania emits 0.3 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). How we calculate this
Compare further: Tanzania vs. Zambia
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to Tanzania? See an in-depth size comparison.