Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zimbabwe instead of Turkmenistan, you would:
Health
be 33.8% less likely to be obese
In Turkmenistan, 22.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, that number is 14.7% of people as of 2024.
live 7.1 years less
In Turkmenistan, the average life expectancy is 70 years (67 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, that number is 63 years (60 years for men, 65 years for women) as of 2024.
see 91.8% less spent on your healthcare
Turkmenistan spends $1,264 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zimbabwe spends $103 as of 2023.
have 93.0% fewer doctors per person
Turkmenistan has 19.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Zimbabwe has 1.4 as of 2023.
have 26.7% less access to essential health services
Turkmenistan scores 75 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Zimbabwe scores 55 as of 2021.
be 2.5 times more likely to die by suicide
Turkmenistan has a suicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zimbabwe, it is 17.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 2.2 times more likely to be unemployed
In Turkmenistan, 4.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zimbabwe, that number is 9.3% as of 2025.
make 53.8% less money
Turkmenistan has a GDP per capita of $6,540 as of 2025, while in Zimbabwe, the GDP per capita is $3,021 as of 2025.
Life
have 42.9% more children
In Turkmenistan, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, there are 29.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 71.6 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 Zimbabwe, 358.0 women do as of 2023.
be 10.2% less likely to be literate
In Turkmenistan, the literacy rate is 99.9% as of 2022. In Zimbabwe, it is 89.7% as of 2021.
be 2.1 times 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 Zimbabwe, on the other hand, 62.4 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 64.6% more likely to have internet access
In Turkmenistan, approximately 25.3% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Zimbabwe, about 41.6% do as of 2024.
be 38.0% 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 Zimbabwe, that number is 62% of people on average (84% in urban areas, and 51% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 32.7% 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 Zimbabwe, that number is 67% of people on average (94% in urban areas, and 54% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 91.1% less on education
Turkmenistan spends 4.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Zimbabwe spends 0.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 46.7% less on healthcare
Turkmenistan spends 5.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zimbabwe, that number is 2.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 3.7 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Turkmenistan, road accidents kill 8.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zimbabwe, they kill 29.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 65.9% less strain on fresh water
Turkmenistan withdraws 135% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zimbabwe withdraws 46% as of 2022.
find 62.8% less home broadband
Turkmenistan has 5.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Zimbabwe has 1.9 as of 2024.
use 81.9% less electricity
Turkmenistan uses 2,778 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Zimbabwe uses 504 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 35.6% less likely to die from air pollution
In Turkmenistan, air pollution causes 87.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zimbabwe, it causes 56.0 as of 2019.
emit 92.9% less CO2
Turkmenistan emits 10.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Zimbabwe emits 0.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021–2022). How we calculate this
Compare further: Turkmenistan vs. Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: At a glance
How big is Zimbabwe compared to Turkmenistan? See an in-depth size comparison.