If you lived in Azerbaijan instead of Zambia, you would:

Health

be 98.9% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Zambia, 9.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Azerbaijan, that number is 0.1% of people as of 2024.

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live 8.0 years longer

In Zambia, the average life expectancy is 67 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024. In Azerbaijan, that number is 75 years (72 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 4.1 times more spent on your healthcare

Zambia spends $244 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Azerbaijan spends $993 as of 2023.

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have 9.8 times more doctors per person

Zambia has 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Azerbaijan has 31.9 as of 2022.

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have 17.9% more access to essential health services

Zambia scores 56 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Azerbaijan scores 66 as of 2021.

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be 78.1% less likely to die by suicide

Zambia has a suicide rate of 7.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Azerbaijan, it is 1.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 2.4 times more likely to be obese

In Zambia, 11.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Azerbaijan, that number is 27.6% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

make 5.6 times more money

Zambia has a GDP per capita of $1,318 as of 2025, while in Azerbaijan, the GDP per capita is $7,411 as of 2025.

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Life

be 78.8% less likely to die during childbirth

In Zambia, approximately 85.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Azerbaijan, 18.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 39.0% more likely to be literate

In Zambia, the literacy rate is 71.8% as of 2024. In Azerbaijan, it is 99.8% as of 2023.

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be 63.9% less likely to die during infancy

In Zambia, approximately 34.6 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Azerbaijan, on the other hand, 12.5 children do as of 2024.

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have 69.4% fewer children

In Zambia, there are approximately 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Azerbaijan, there are 10.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 95.7% more likely to have access to electricity

In Zambia, approximately 51% of people have electricity access (90% in urban areas, and 18% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Azerbaijan, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 5.3 times more likely to have internet access

In Zambia, approximately 17.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Azerbaijan, about 90.8% do as of 2025.

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be 33.1% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Zambia, approximately 73% of people have access to drinking water (90% in urban areas, and 58% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Azerbaijan, that number is 98% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 95% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 10.1% less on education

Zambia spends 4.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Azerbaijan spends 3.7% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 28.6% less on healthcare

Zambia spends 6.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Azerbaijan, that number is 4.3% of GDP as of 2023.

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Infrastructure

find 27.5 times more home broadband

Zambia has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Azerbaijan has 21.8 as of 2024.

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use 3.3 times more electricity

Zambia uses 727 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Azerbaijan uses 2,367 kWh as of 2023.

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live with 20.3 times more strain on fresh water

Zambia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Azerbaijan withdraws 58% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 2.3 times more likely to die from air pollution

In Zambia, air pollution causes 50.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Azerbaijan, it causes 114.0 as of 2019.

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emit 7.1 times more CO2

Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Azerbaijan emits 3.8 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Azerbaijan: At a glance

Azerbaijan is a sovereign country in Middle East, with a total land area of approximately 82,629 sq km. Azerbaijan - a nation with a majority-Turkic and majority-Shia Muslim population - was briefly independent (from 1918 to 1920) following the collapse of the Russian Empire; it was subsequently incorporated into the Soviet Union for seven decades. Azerbaijan has yet to resolve its conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, a primarily Armenian-populated region that Moscow recognized in 1923 as an autonomous republic within Soviet Azerbaijan after Armenia and Azerbaijan disputed the territory's status. Armenia and Azerbaijan began fighting over the area in 1988; the struggle escalated after both countries attained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. By May 1994, when a cease-fire took hold, ethnic Armenian forces held not only Nagorno-Karabakh but also seven surrounding provinces in the territory of Azerbaijan. The OSCE Minsk Group, co-chaired by the United States, France, and Russia, is the framework established to mediate a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Corruption in the country is widespread, and the government, which eliminated presidential term limits in a 2009 referendum, has been accused of authoritarianism. Although the poverty rate has been reduced and infrastructure investment has increased substantially in recent years due to revenue from oil and gas production, reforms have not adequately addressed weaknesses in most government institutions, particularly in the education and health sectors.
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