Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Pakistan instead of Zambia, you would:
Health
be 97.9% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Zambia, 9.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Pakistan, that number is 0.2% of people as of 2024.
live 1.3 years longer
In Zambia, the average life expectancy is 67 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024. In Pakistan, that number is 68 years (65 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024.
have 3.6 times more doctors per person
Zambia has 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Pakistan has 11.6 as of 2021.
be 20.9% less likely to die by suicide
Zambia has a suicide rate of 7.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Pakistan, it is 5.6 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 Pakistan, that number is 24.5% of people as of 2024.
see 37.6% less spent on your healthcare
Zambia spends $244 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Pakistan spends $152 as of 2023.
have 19.6% less access to essential health services
Zambia scores 56 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Pakistan scores 45 as of 2021.
Economy
be 51.8% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Zambia, 60.0% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Pakistan, however, that number is 28.9% as of 2024.
make 21.1% more money
Zambia has a GDP per capita of $1,318 as of 2025, while in Pakistan, the GDP per capita is $1,596 as of 2025.
Life
be 82.4% 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 Pakistan, 155.0 women do as of 2023.
be 18.0% less likely to be literate
In Zambia, the literacy rate is 71.8% as of 2024. In Pakistan, it is 58.9% as of 2021.
be 39.3% more 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 Pakistan, on the other hand, 48.2 children do as of 2024.
have 16.2% fewer children
In Zambia, there are approximately 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Pakistan, there are 27.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 87.1% 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 Pakistan, that number is 96% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 93% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 3.3 times more likely to have internet access
In Zambia, approximately 17.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Pakistan, about 57.2% do as of 2024.
be 23.5% 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 Pakistan, that number is 91% of people on average (93% in urban areas, and 89% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 52.1% less on education
Zambia spends 4.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Pakistan spends 1.9% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 57.9% less on healthcare
Zambia spends 6.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Pakistan, that number is 2.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 30.4% less likely to die in a road accident
In Zambia, road accidents kill 17.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Pakistan, they kill 11.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 86.1% more home broadband
Zambia has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Pakistan has 1.5 as of 2024.
live with 38.7 times more strain on fresh water
Zambia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Pakistan withdraws 110% as of 2022.
use 28.7% less electricity
Zambia uses 727 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Pakistan uses 518 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 2.1 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Zambia, air pollution causes 50.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Pakistan, it causes 105.0 as of 2019.
emit 50.0% more CO2
Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Pakistan emits 0.8 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. Pakistan
Pakistan: At a glance
How big is Pakistan compared to Zambia? See an in-depth size comparison.