Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of Uganda, you would:
Health
see 75.7% more spent on your healthcare
Uganda spends $139 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.
have 69.6% more doctors per person
Uganda has 1.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.
have 14.3% more access to essential health services
Uganda scores 49 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Zambia scores 56 as of 2021.
be 91.8% more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Uganda, 4.9% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 9.4% of people as of 2024.
live 2.0 years less
In Uganda, the average life expectancy is 68 years (65 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.
be 22.3% more likely to be obese
In Uganda, 9.5% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.
be 29.6% more likely to die by suicide
Uganda has a suicide rate of 5.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 7.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 2.2 times more likely to be unemployed
In Uganda, 2.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zambia, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
be 3.7 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Uganda, 16.1% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Zambia, however, that number is 60.0% as of 2022.
Life
be 50.0% less likely to die during childbirth
In Uganda, 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.
Basic Needs
be 91.1% more likely to have internet access
In Uganda, approximately 8.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.
be 16.5% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Uganda, approximately 63% of people have access to drinking water (80% in urban areas, and 57% 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 59.0% more on education
Uganda spends 2.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Zambia spends 4.1% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 41.0% more on healthcare
Uganda spends 4.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zambia, that number is 6.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 3.8 times more home broadband
Uganda has 0.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.
live with 51.3% less strain on fresh water
Uganda withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zambia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 7.6 times more electricity
Uganda uses 95 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Zambia uses 727 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 16.7% less likely to die from air pollution
In Uganda, air pollution causes 60.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zambia, it causes 50.0 as of 2019.
emit 3.2 times more CO2
Uganda emits 0.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Uganda vs. Zambia
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to Uganda? See an in-depth size comparison.