Quality of life comparison
If you lived in China instead of Zambia, you would:
Health
live 22.5 years longer
In Zambia, the average life expectancy is 54 years (52 years for men, 55 years for women) as of 2020. In China, that number is 76 years (74 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2020.
be 23.5% less likely to be obese
In Zambia, 8.1% of adults are obese as of 2016. In China, that number is 6.2% of people as of 2016.
Economy
make 4.5 times more money
Zambia has a GDP per capita of $4,000 as of 2017, while in China, the GDP per capita is $18,200 as of 2018.
be 74.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Zambia, 15.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2008. In China, that number is 3.9% as of 2017.
be 93.9% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Zambia, 54.4% live below the poverty line as of 2015. In China, however, that number is 3.3% as of 2016.
pay a 28.6% higher top tax rate
Zambia has a top tax rate of 35.0% as of 2016. In China, the top tax rate is 45.0% as of 2016.
Life
be 86.4% less likely to die during childbirth
In Zambia, approximately 213.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In China, 29.0 women do as of 2017.
be 11.6% more likely to be literate
In Zambia, the literacy rate is 86.7% as of 2018. In China, it is 96.8% as of 2018.
be 79.6% less likely to die during infancy
In Zambia, approximately 56.0 children die before they reach the age of one as of 2020. In China, on the other hand, 11.4 children do as of 2020.
have 71.3% fewer children
In Zambia, there are approximately 40.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020. In China, there are 11.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020.
Basic Needs
be 3.0 times more likely to have access to electricity
In Zambia, approximately 33% of the population has electricity access as of 2017. In China, 100% of the population do as of 2016.
be 3.8 times more likely to have internet access
In Zambia, approximately 14.3% of the population has internet access as of 2018. In China, about 54.3% do as of 2018.
be 37.5% more likely to have access to improved drinking water
In Zambia, approximately 68% of people have improved drinking water access (90% in urban areas, and 51% in rural areas) as of 2017. In China, that number is 93% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 88% in rural areas) as of 2017.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Zambia Revenue Authority, State Administration of Taxation.
China: At a glance
How big is China compared to Zambia? See an in-depth size comparison.