If you lived in Zambia instead of Tuvalu, you would:

Health

be 82.2% less likely to be obese

In Tuvalu, 65.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 23.5 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Tuvalu, 0.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 9.4% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

live 0.7 years less

In Tuvalu, the average life expectancy is 67 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 67 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

see 85.4% less spent on your healthcare

Tuvalu spends $1,671 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

have 75.9% fewer doctors per person

Tuvalu has 13.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.

View global rankings →

Economy

make 78.2% less money

Tuvalu has a GDP per capita of $6,041 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.

View global rankings →

Life

be 50.0% less likely to die during childbirth

In Tuvalu, approximately 170.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Zambia, 85.0 women do as of 2023.

View global rankings →

have 48.9% more children

In Tuvalu, there are approximately 22.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zambia, there are 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 28.2% less likely to be literate

In Tuvalu, the literacy rate is 100.0% as of 2022. In Zambia, it is 71.8% as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 2.1 times more likely to die during infancy

In Tuvalu, approximately 16.5 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.

View global rankings →

Basic Needs

be 48.9% less likely to have access to electricity

In Tuvalu, 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.

View global rankings →

be 78.9% less likely to have internet access

In Tuvalu, approximately 81.2% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 25.7% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Tuvalu, approximately 99% of people have access to drinking water (98% 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.

View global rankings →

Expenditures

spend 68.3% less on education

Tuvalu spends 12.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Zambia spends 4.1% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

View global rankings →

spend 77.9% less on healthcare

Tuvalu spends 27.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zambia, that number is 6.0% of GDP as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

find 82.5% less home broadband

Tuvalu has 4.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.

View global rankings →


Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2022). How we calculate this

Zambia: At a glance

Zambia is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 743,398 sq km. The territory of Northern Rhodesia was administered by the [British] South Africa Company from 1891 until it was taken over by the UK in 1923. During the 1920s and 1930s, advances in mining spurred development and immigration. The name was changed to Zambia upon independence in 1964. In the 1980s and 1990s, declining copper prices, economic mismanagement and a prolonged drought hurt the economy. Elections in 1991 brought an end to one-party rule, but the subsequent vote in 1996 saw blatant harassment of opposition parties. The election in 2001 was marked by administrative problems with three parties filing a legal petition challenging the election of ruling party candidate Levy MWANAWASA. MWANAWASA was reelected in 2006 in an election that was deemed free and fair. Upon his abrupt death in August 2008, he was succeeded by his vice president, Rupiah BANDA, who subsequently won a special presidential by-election in October 2008. Michael SATA was elected president in September 2011.
Read more

How big is Zambia compared to Tuvalu? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Zambia or Tuvalu. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.