Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Zambia, you would:
Health
be 72.1% more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Zambia, 11.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In South Africa, that number is 19.1% of people as of 2020.
live 0.9 years less
In Zambia, the average life expectancy is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2022. In South Africa, that number is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022.
be 3.5 times more likely to be obese
In Zambia, 8.1% of adults are obese as of 2016. In South Africa, that number is 28.3% of people as of 2016.
Economy
make 3.5 times more money
Zambia has a GDP per capita of $3,300 as of 2020, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $11,500 as of 2020.
be 69.5% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Zambia, 54.4% live below the poverty line as of 2015. In South Africa, however, that number is 16.6% as of 2016.
be 90.2% more likely to be unemployed
In Zambia, 15.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2008. In South Africa, that number is 28.5% as of 2019.
pay a 28.6% higher top tax rate
Zambia has a top tax rate of 35.0% as of 2016. In South Africa, the top tax rate is 45.0% as of 2017.
Life
be 44.1% less likely to die during childbirth
In Zambia, approximately 213.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In South Africa, 119.0 women do as of 2017.
be 30.3% less likely to die during infancy
In Zambia, approximately 37.1 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In South Africa, on the other hand, 25.9 children do as of 2022.
have 46.8% fewer children
In Zambia, there are approximately 34.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In South Africa, there are 18.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.
Basic Needs
be 2.5 times more 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 South Africa, that number is 94% of people on average (95% in urban areas, and 92% in rural areas) as of 2019.
be 3.5 times more likely to have internet access
In Zambia, approximately 20.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In South Africa, about 70.0% do as of 2020.
be 35.1% 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 South Africa, that number is 97% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 90% in rural areas) as of 2020.
Expenditures
spend 51.1% more on education
Zambia spends 4.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. South Africa spends 6.8% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
spend 71.7% more on healthcare
Zambia spends 5.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In South Africa, that number is 9.1% of GDP as of 2019.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Zambia Revenue Authority, South African Revenue Service.
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Zambia? See an in-depth size comparison.