Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of Vanuatu, you would:
Health
be 48.7% less likely to be obese
In Vanuatu, 22.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.
see 72.6% more spent on your healthcare
Vanuatu spends $141 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.
have 97.6% more doctors per person
Vanuatu has 1.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2019. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.
have 19.1% more access to essential health services
Vanuatu scores 47 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Zambia scores 56 as of 2021.
be 54.7% less likely to die by suicide
Vanuatu has a suicide rate of 15.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 7.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 94.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Vanuatu, 0.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 9.4% of people as of 2024.
live 5.1 years less
In Vanuatu, the average life expectancy is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 67 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024.
Economy
be 16.8% more likely to be unemployed
In Vanuatu, 5.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zambia, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
be 3.8 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Vanuatu, 15.9% live below the poverty line as of 2020. In Zambia, however, that number is 60.0% as of 2022.
make 67.4% less money
Vanuatu has a GDP per capita of $4,039 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.
Life
be 15.0% less likely to die during childbirth
In Vanuatu, approximately 100.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Zambia, 85.0 women do as of 2023.
have 18.3% more children
In Vanuatu, there are approximately 27.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zambia, there are 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 18.4% less likely to be literate
In Vanuatu, the literacy rate is 88.0% as of 2023. In Zambia, it is 71.8% as of 2024.
be 2.4 times more likely to die during infancy
In Vanuatu, approximately 14.4 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 17.0% less likely to have access to electricity
In Vanuatu, approximately 62% of people have electricity access (88% in urban areas, and 54% 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 75.5% less likely to have internet access
In Vanuatu, approximately 69.9% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.
be 15.7% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Vanuatu, approximately 87% of people have access to drinking water (97% in urban areas, and 84% 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 46.7% less on education
Vanuatu spends 7.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Zambia spends 4.1% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 45.1% more on healthcare
Vanuatu spends 4.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zambia, that number is 6.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 36.8% more likely to die in a road accident
In Vanuatu, road accidents kill 12.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zambia, they kill 17.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 31.9% less home broadband
Vanuatu has 1.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.
Environment
be 12.3% less likely to die from air pollution
In Vanuatu, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zambia, it causes 50.0 as of 2019.
emit 37.9% less CO2
Vanuatu emits 0.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2020). How we calculate this
Compare further: Vanuatu vs. Zambia
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to Vanuatu? See an in-depth size comparison.