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

Health

be 77.4% less likely to be obese

In Tuvalu, 65.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, that number is 14.7% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 24.5 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Tuvalu, 0.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, that number is 9.8% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

live 4.2 years less

In Tuvalu, the average life expectancy is 67 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, that number is 63 years (60 years for men, 65 years for women) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

see 93.8% less spent on your healthcare

Tuvalu spends $1,671 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zimbabwe spends $103 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

have 89.9% fewer doctors per person

Tuvalu has 13.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. Zimbabwe has 1.4 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Economy

make 50.0% less money

Tuvalu has a GDP per capita of $6,041 as of 2025, while in Zimbabwe, the GDP per capita is $3,021 as of 2025.

View global rankings →

Life

have 36.0% more children

In Tuvalu, there are approximately 22.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, there are 29.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 2.1 times more 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 Zimbabwe, 358.0 women do as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 10.3% less likely to be literate

In Tuvalu, the literacy rate is 100.0% as of 2022. In Zimbabwe, it is 89.7% as of 2021.

View global rankings →

be 3.8 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 Zimbabwe, on the other hand, 62.4 children do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Basic Needs

be 38.0% 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 Zimbabwe, that number is 62% of people on average (84% in urban areas, and 51% in rural areas) as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 48.7% less likely to have internet access

In Tuvalu, approximately 81.2% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Zimbabwe, about 41.6% do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 31.9% 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 Zimbabwe, that number is 67% of people on average (94% in urban areas, and 54% in rural areas) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Expenditures

spend 97.0% less on education

Tuvalu spends 12.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Zimbabwe spends 0.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

View global rankings →

spend 89.2% less on healthcare

Tuvalu spends 27.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zimbabwe, that number is 2.9% of GDP as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Safety

be 67.0% more likely to die in a road accident

In Tuvalu, road accidents kill 17.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zimbabwe, they kill 29.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

find 57.1% less home broadband

Tuvalu has 4.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Zimbabwe has 1.9 as of 2024.

View global rankings →


Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this

Zimbabwe: At a glance

Zimbabwe is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 386,847 sq km. The UK annexed Southern Rhodesia from the [British] South Africa Company in 1923. A 1961 constitution was formulated that favored whites in power. In 1965 the government unilaterally declared its independence, but the UK did not recognize the act and demanded more complete voting rights for the black African majority in the country (then called Rhodesia). UN sanctions and a guerrilla uprising finally led to free elections in 1979 and independence (as Zimbabwe) in 1980. Robert MUGABE, the nation's first prime minister, has been the country's only ruler (as president since 1987) and has dominated the country's political system since independence. His chaotic land redistribution campaign, which began in 1997 and intensified after 2000, caused an exodus of white farmers, crippled the economy, and ushered in widespread shortages of basic commodities. Ignoring international condemnation, MUGABE rigged the 2002 presidential election to ensure his reelection. In April 2005, the capital city of Harare embarked on Operation Restore Order, ostensibly an urban rationalization program, which resulted in the destruction of the homes or businesses of 700,000 mostly poor supporters of the opposition. President MUGABE in June 2007 instituted price controls on all basic commodities causing panic buying and leaving store shelves empty for months; a period of increasing hyperinflation ensued. General elections held in March 2008 contained irregularities but still amounted to a censure of the ZANU-PF-led government with the opposition winning a majority of seats in parliament. MDC-T opposition leader Morgan TSVANGIRAI won the most votes in the presidential polls, but not enough to win outright. In the lead up to a run-off election in late June 2008, considerable violence enacted against opposition party members led to the withdrawal of TSVANGIRAI from the ballot. Extensive evidence of violence and intimidation resulted in international condemnation of the process. Difficult negotiations over a power-sharing "government of national unity," in which MUGABE remained president and TSVANGIRAI became prime minister, were finally settled in February 2009, although the leaders failed to agree upon many key outstanding governmental issues. MUGABE was reelected president in June 2013 in balloting that was severely flawed and internationally condemned. As a prerequisite to holding the elections, Zimbabwe enacted a new constitution by referendum, although many provisions in the new constitution have yet to be codified in law.
Read more

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

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

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