Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 27.0% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Zambia, 11.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Malawi, that number is 8.1% of people as of 2020.

live 6.2 years longer

In Zambia, the average life expectancy is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2022. In Malawi, that number is 72 years (69 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022.

be 28.4% less likely to be obese

In Zambia, 8.1% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Malawi, that number is 5.8% of people as of 2016.

Economy

pay a 14.3% lower top tax rate

Zambia has a top tax rate of 35.0% as of 2016. In Malawi, the top tax rate is 30.0% as of 2016.

make 54.5% less money

Zambia has a GDP per capita of $3,300 as of 2020, while in Malawi, the GDP per capita is $1,500 as of 2020.

be 36.0% more likely to be unemployed

In Zambia, 15.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2008. In Malawi, that number is 20.4% as of 2013.

Life

be 63.8% more likely to die during childbirth

In Zambia, approximately 213.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Malawi, 349.0 women do as of 2017.

be 28.4% less likely to be literate

In Zambia, the literacy rate is 86.7% as of 2018. In Malawi, it is 62.1% as of 2015.

have 19.9% fewer children

In Zambia, there are approximately 34.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Malawi, there are 27.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 28.5% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Zambia, approximately 72% of people have improved drinking water access (90% in urban areas, and 57% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Malawi, that number is 92% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 91% in rural areas) as of 2020.

be 64.9% less likely to have access to electricity

In Zambia, approximately 37% of people have electricity access (76% in urban areas, and 6% in rural areas) as of 2019. In Malawi, that number is 13% of people on average (55% in urban areas, and 5% in rural areas) as of 2019.

be 30.0% less likely to have internet access

In Zambia, approximately 20.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In Malawi, about 14.0% do as of 2019.

Expenditures

spend 35.6% less on education

Zambia spends 4.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Malawi spends 2.9% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 39.6% more on healthcare

Zambia spends 5.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Malawi, that number is 7.4% of GDP as of 2019.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Malawi Revenue Authority, The World Factbook, Zambia Revenue Authority.

Malawi: At a glance

Malawi is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 94,080 sq km. Established in 1891, the British protectorate of Nyasaland became the independent nation of Malawi in 1964. After three decades of one-party rule under President Hastings Kamuzu BANDA the country held multiparty elections in 1994, under a provisional constitution that came into full effect the following year. President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA, elected in May 2004 after a failed attempt by the previous president to amend the constitution to permit another term, struggled to assert his authority against his predecessor and subsequently started his own party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in 2005. MUTHARIKA was reelected to a second term in May 2009. He oversaw some economic improvement in his first term, but was accused of economic mismanagement and poor governance in his second term. He died abruptly in April 2012 and was succeeded by his vice president, Joyce BANDA, who had earlier started her own party, the People's Party (PP). Population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, corruption, and the scourge of HIV/AIDS pose major problems for Malawi.
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How big is Malawi compared to Zambia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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