Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Namibia instead of Zambia, you would:
Health
live 1.0 years longer
In Zambia, the average life expectancy is 67 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024. In Namibia, that number is 68 years (63 years for men, 71 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). Namibia spends $1,068 as of 2023.
have 70.7% more doctors per person
Zambia has 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Namibia has 5.5 as of 2022.
have 12.5% more access to essential health services
Zambia scores 56 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Namibia scores 63 as of 2021.
be 57.7% more likely to be obese
In Zambia, 11.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Namibia, that number is 18.3% of people as of 2024.
be 20.5% more likely to die by suicide
Zambia has a suicide rate of 7.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Namibia, it is 8.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 3.7 times more money
Zambia has a GDP per capita of $1,318 as of 2025, while in Namibia, the GDP per capita is $4,876 as of 2025.
be 3.3 times more likely to be unemployed
In Zambia, 5.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Namibia, that number is 19.3% as of 2025.
Life
be 22.1% more likely to be literate
In Zambia, the literacy rate is 71.8% as of 2024. In Namibia, it is 87.6% as of 2023.
be 63.5% more 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 Namibia, 139.0 women do as of 2023.
have 20.9% fewer children
In Zambia, there are approximately 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Namibia, there are 25.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 11.0% 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 Namibia, that number is 57% of people on average (75% in urban areas, and 34% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 3.8 times more likely to have internet access
In Zambia, approximately 17.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Namibia, about 64.9% do as of 2024.
be 17.8% 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 Namibia, that number is 87% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 74% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.2 times more on education
Zambia spends 4.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Namibia spends 9.1% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 58.5% more on healthcare
Zambia spends 6.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Namibia, that number is 9.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 28.7% more likely to die in a road accident
In Zambia, road accidents kill 17.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Namibia, they kill 22.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 3.6 times more home broadband
Zambia has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Namibia has 2.8 as of 2024.
live with 89.1% less strain on fresh water
Zambia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Namibia withdraws 0% as of 2022.
use 69.5% more electricity
Zambia uses 727 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Namibia uses 1,232 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 14.0% less likely to die from air pollution
In Zambia, air pollution causes 50.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Namibia, it causes 43.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.2 times more CO2
Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Namibia emits 1.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Zambia vs. Namibia
Namibia: At a glance
How big is Namibia compared to Zambia? See an in-depth size comparison.