Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of Tonga, you would:
Health
be 84.3% less likely to be obese
In Tonga, 73.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.
live 6.5 years less
In Tonga, the average life expectancy is 73 years (70 years for men, 77 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 52.4% less spent on your healthcare
Tonga spends $512 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.
have 68.0% fewer doctors per person
Tonga has 10.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.
be 50.7% more likely to die by suicide
Tonga has a suicide rate of 4.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 7.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 2.9 times more likely to be unemployed
In Tonga, 2.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zambia, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
be 2.9 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Tonga, 20.6% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Zambia, however, that number is 60.0% as of 2022.
make 79.9% less money
Tonga has a GDP per capita of $6,547 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.
Life
have 42.0% more children
In Tonga, there are approximately 23.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zambia, there are 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 26.9% more likely to die during childbirth
In Tonga, approximately 67.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Zambia, 85.0 women do as of 2023.
be 27.9% less likely to be literate
In Tonga, the literacy rate is 99.5% as of 2023. In Zambia, it is 71.8% as of 2024.
be 4.4 times more likely to die during infancy
In Tonga, approximately 7.8 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 Tonga, 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 74.6% less likely to have internet access
In Tonga, approximately 67.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.
be 25.7% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Tonga, approximately 99% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 99% 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 23.4% less on education
Tonga spends 5.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Zambia spends 4.1% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 18.7% less on healthcare
Tonga spends 7.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zambia, that number is 6.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 2.0 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Tonga, road accidents kill 8.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zambia, they kill 17.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 90.3% less home broadband
Tonga has 8.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 66.9% less CO2
Tonga emits 1.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.
be 2.1 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Tonga, air pollution causes 24.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zambia, it causes 50.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Tonga vs. Zambia
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to Tonga? See an in-depth size comparison.