Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Zambia, you would:
Health
see 5.6 times more spent on your healthcare
Zambia spends $244 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
have 2.5 times more doctors per person
Zambia has 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. South Africa has 7.9 as of 2022.
have 26.8% more access to essential health services
Zambia scores 56 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. South Africa scores 71 as of 2021.
be 83.0% more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Zambia, 9.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2024.
be 2.7 times more likely to be obese
In Zambia, 11.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 31.8% of people as of 2024.
be 3.1 times more likely to die by suicide
Zambia has a suicide rate of 7.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 36.8% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Zambia, 60.0% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In South Africa, however, that number is 37.9% as of 2022.
make 5.0 times more money
Zambia has a GDP per capita of $1,318 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
be 5.5 times more likely to be unemployed
In Zambia, 5.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
Life
be 27.0% more likely to be literate
In Zambia, the literacy rate is 71.8% as of 2024. In South Africa, it is 91.2% as of 2024.
be 30.1% 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 South Africa, on the other hand, 24.2 children do as of 2024.
be 38.8% 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 South Africa, 118.0 women do as of 2023.
have 43.5% fewer children
In Zambia, there are approximately 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In South Africa, there are 18.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 71.6% 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 South Africa, that number is 88% of people on average (91% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 4.6 times more likely to have internet access
In Zambia, approximately 17.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
be 22.9% 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 South Africa, that number is 90% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 73% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 47.9% more on education
Zambia spends 4.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 49.0% more on healthcare
Zambia spends 6.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In South Africa, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 43.3% more likely to die in a road accident
In Zambia, road accidents kill 17.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 6.8 times more home broadband
Zambia has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. South Africa has 5.3 as of 2024.
use 4.5 times more electricity
Zambia uses 727 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
live with 23.8 times more strain on fresh water
Zambia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 12.7 times more CO2
Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Zambia vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Zambia? See an in-depth size comparison.