Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of United States, you would:
Health
be 71.7% less likely to be obese
In United States, 41.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.
be 54.4% less likely to die by suicide
United States has a suicide rate of 15.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 7.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 12.4 years less
In United States, the average life expectancy is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 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 98.2% less spent on your healthcare
United States spends $13,473 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.
have 91.2% fewer doctors per person
United States has 36.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.
have 34.9% less access to essential health services
United States scores 86 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Zambia scores 56 as of 2021.
Economy
be 41.0% more likely to be unemployed
In United States, 4.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zambia, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
make 98.5% less money
United States has a GDP per capita of $90,027 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.
Life
have 3.1 times more children
In United States, there are approximately 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zambia, there are 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 5.0 times more likely to die during childbirth
In United States, approximately 17.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Zambia, 85.0 women do as of 2023.
be 6.3 times more likely to die during infancy
In United States, approximately 5.5 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.
Basic Needs
be 48.9% less likely to have access to electricity
In United States, 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 81.9% less likely to have internet access
In United States, approximately 94.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.
be 26.6% less likely to have access to drinking water
In United States, 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.
Expenditures
spend 24.9% less on education
United States spends 5.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Zambia spends 4.1% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 64.2% less on healthcare
United States spends 16.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zambia, that number is 6.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 20.4% more likely to die in a road accident
In United States, road accidents kill 14.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zambia, they kill 17.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 89.9% less strain on fresh water
United States withdraws 28% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zambia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
find 98.0% less home broadband
United States has 38.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.
use 94.3% less electricity
United States uses 12,839 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Zambia uses 727 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 96.0% less CO2
United States emits 13.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.
be 3.6 times more likely to die from air pollution
In United States, air pollution causes 14.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zambia, it causes 50.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: United States vs. Zambia
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to United States? See an in-depth size comparison.