Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of Vietnam, you would:
Health
be 23.5 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Vietnam, 0.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 9.4% of people as of 2024.
live 8.2 years less
In Vietnam, the average life expectancy is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 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 4.8 times more likely to be obese
In Vietnam, 2.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.
see 64.7% less spent on your healthcare
Vietnam spends $690 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.
have 70.7% fewer doctors per person
Vietnam has 11.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.
have 17.6% less access to essential health services
Vietnam scores 68 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Zambia scores 56 as of 2021.
Economy
be 3.9 times more likely to be unemployed
In Vietnam, 1.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zambia, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
be 14.3 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Vietnam, 4.2% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Zambia, however, that number is 60.0% as of 2022.
make 74.0% less money
Vietnam has a GDP per capita of $5,066 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.4 times more children
In Vietnam, there are approximately 13.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zambia, there are 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 77.1% more likely to die during childbirth
In Vietnam, approximately 48.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Zambia, 85.0 women do as of 2023.
be 25.3% less likely to be literate
In Vietnam, the literacy rate is 96.1% as of 2022. In Zambia, it is 71.8% as of 2024.
be 2.9 times more likely to die during infancy
In Vietnam, approximately 12.0 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 48.8% less likely to have access to electricity
In Vietnam, 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 79.7% less likely to have internet access
In Vietnam, approximately 84.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.
be 25.7% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Vietnam, approximately 99% of people have access to drinking water (99% in urban areas, and 98% 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 40.8% more on education
Vietnam spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Zambia spends 4.1% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 31.1% more on healthcare
Vietnam spends 4.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zambia, that number is 6.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Infrastructure
live with 84.3% less strain on fresh water
Vietnam withdraws 18% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zambia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
find 96.7% less home broadband
Vietnam has 23.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.
use 71.9% less electricity
Vietnam uses 2,585 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Zambia uses 727 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 87.4% less CO2
Vietnam emits 4.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Vietnam vs. Zambia
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to Vietnam? See an in-depth size comparison.