Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Guyana instead of Zambia, you would:
Health
be 83.0% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Zambia, 9.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Guyana, that number is 1.6% of people as of 2024.
live 3.8 years longer
In Zambia, the average life expectancy is 67 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024. In Guyana, that number is 70 years (67 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.
see 5.5 times more spent on your healthcare
Zambia spends $244 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Guyana spends $1,331 as of 2023.
have 4.3 times more doctors per person
Zambia has 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Guyana has 13.9 as of 2020.
have 35.7% more access to essential health services
Zambia scores 56 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Guyana scores 76 as of 2021.
be 2.6 times more likely to be obese
In Zambia, 11.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Guyana, that number is 30.1% of people as of 2024.
be 3.5 times more likely to die by suicide
Zambia has a suicide rate of 7.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Guyana, it is 24.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 24.6 times more money
Zambia has a GDP per capita of $1,318 as of 2025, while in Guyana, the GDP per capita is $32,414 as of 2025.
be 2.0 times more likely to be unemployed
In Zambia, 5.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Guyana, that number is 12.0% as of 2025.
Life
be 23.7% more likely to be literate
In Zambia, the literacy rate is 71.8% as of 2024. In Guyana, it is 88.8% as of 2021.
be 32.9% 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 Guyana, on the other hand, 23.2 children do as of 2024.
have 39.2% fewer children
In Zambia, there are approximately 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Guyana, there are 19.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 93.5% 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 Guyana, that number is 99% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 92% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 4.9 times more likely to have internet access
In Zambia, approximately 17.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Guyana, about 83.0% do as of 2024.
be 30.3% 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 Guyana, that number is 96% of people on average (95% in urban areas, and 96% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 58.7% less on healthcare
Zambia spends 6.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Guyana, that number is 2.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 11.1% less likely to die in a road accident
In Zambia, road accidents kill 17.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Guyana, they kill 15.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 16.4 times more home broadband
Zambia has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Guyana has 12.9 as of 2022.
live with 16.2% more strain on fresh water
Zambia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Guyana withdraws 3% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 8.4 times more CO2
Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Guyana emits 4.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Zambia vs. Guyana
Guyana: At a glance
How big is Guyana compared to Zambia? See an in-depth size comparison.