Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Iran instead of Zambia, you would:
Health
live 11.3 years longer
In Zambia, the average life expectancy is 67 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024. In Iran, that number is 78 years (76 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.
see 4.4 times more spent on your healthcare
Zambia spends $244 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Iran spends $1,064 as of 2023.
have 5.6 times more doctors per person
Zambia has 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Iran has 18.1 as of 2023.
have 32.1% more access to essential health services
Zambia scores 56 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Iran scores 74 as of 2021.
be 42.9% less likely to die by suicide
Zambia has a suicide rate of 7.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Iran, it is 4.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 2.1 times more likely to be obese
In Zambia, 11.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Iran, that number is 24.6% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 3.0 times more money
Zambia has a GDP per capita of $1,318 as of 2025, while in Iran, the GDP per capita is $3,924 as of 2025.
be 40.2% more likely to be unemployed
In Zambia, 5.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Iran, that number is 8.3% as of 2025.
Life
be 81.2% 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 Iran, 16.0 women do as of 2023.
be 23.9% more likely to be literate
In Zambia, the literacy rate is 71.8% as of 2024. In Iran, it is 88.9% as of 2023.
be 70.2% 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 Iran, on the other hand, 10.3 children do as of 2024.
have 61.6% fewer children
In Zambia, there are approximately 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Iran, there are 12.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
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 Iran, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 5.0 times more likely to have internet access
In Zambia, approximately 17.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Iran, about 85.3% do as of 2024.
be 33.3% 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 Iran, that number is 98% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 95% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 30.7% less on education
Zambia spends 4.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Iran spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Safety
be 53.8% less likely to be murdered
Zambia has a homicide rate of 5.2 per 100,000 people as of 2015. In Iran, that number is 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2014.
be 20.5% more likely to die in a road accident
In Zambia, road accidents kill 17.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Iran, they kill 20.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 15.3 times more home broadband
Zambia has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Iran has 12.1 as of 2024.
use 5.2 times more electricity
Zambia uses 727 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Iran uses 3,815 kWh as of 2023.
live with 28.6 times more strain on fresh water
Zambia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Iran withdraws 81% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 16.8 times more CO2
Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Iran emits 9.1 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2014–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Zambia vs. Iran
Iran: At a glance
How big is Iran compared to Zambia? See an in-depth size comparison.