Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of Turkmenistan, you would:
Health
be 47.9% less likely to be obese
In Turkmenistan, 22.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.
live 3.7 years less
In Turkmenistan, the average life expectancy is 70 years (67 years for men, 73 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 80.7% less spent on your healthcare
Turkmenistan spends $1,264 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.
have 83.2% fewer doctors per person
Turkmenistan has 19.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.
have 25.3% less access to essential health services
Turkmenistan scores 75 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Zambia scores 56 as of 2021.
Economy
be 38.6% more likely to be unemployed
In Turkmenistan, 4.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zambia, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
make 79.8% less money
Turkmenistan has a GDP per capita of $6,540 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.
Life
have 56.5% more children
In Turkmenistan, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zambia, there are 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 17.0 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Turkmenistan, approximately 5.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Zambia, 85.0 women do as of 2023.
be 28.2% less likely to be literate
In Turkmenistan, the literacy rate is 99.9% as of 2022. In Zambia, it is 71.8% as of 2024.
be 13.8% more likely to die during infancy
In Turkmenistan, approximately 30.4 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 Turkmenistan, 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 32.4% less likely to have internet access
In Turkmenistan, approximately 25.3% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.
be 26.5% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Turkmenistan, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water (100% 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.
Safety
be 5.1 times more likely to be murdered
Turkmenistan has a homicide rate of 1.0 per 100,000 people as of 2015. In Zambia, that number is 5.2 per 100,000 as of 2015.
be 2.1 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Turkmenistan, road accidents kill 8.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zambia, they kill 17.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 97.9% less strain on fresh water
Turkmenistan withdraws 135% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zambia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
find 84.9% less home broadband
Turkmenistan has 5.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.
use 73.8% less electricity
Turkmenistan uses 2,778 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Zambia uses 727 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 42.5% less likely to die from air pollution
In Turkmenistan, air pollution causes 87.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zambia, it causes 50.0 as of 2019.
emit 95.0% less CO2
Turkmenistan emits 10.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this
Compare further: Turkmenistan vs. Zambia
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to Turkmenistan? See an in-depth size comparison.