Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Swaziland instead of Zambia, you would:
Health
see 3.8 times more spent on your healthcare
Zambia spends $244 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Swaziland spends $922 as of 2023.
have 71.9% more doctors per person
Zambia has 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Swaziland has 5.6 as of 2023.
be 2.5 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Zambia, 9.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Swaziland, that number is 23.4% of people as of 2024.
live 2.3 years less
In Zambia, the average life expectancy is 67 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024. In Swaziland, that number is 64 years (61 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2024.
be 2.6 times more likely to be obese
In Zambia, 11.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Swaziland, that number is 29.6% of people as of 2024.
be 3.8 times more likely to die by suicide
Zambia has a suicide rate of 7.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Swaziland, it is 27.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 10.8% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Zambia, 60.0% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Swaziland, however, that number is 53.5% as of 2023.
make 3.1 times more money
Zambia has a GDP per capita of $1,318 as of 2025, while in Swaziland, the GDP per capita is $4,108 as of 2025.
be 5.8 times more likely to be unemployed
In Zambia, 5.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Swaziland, that number is 34.2% as of 2025.
Life
be 26.4% more likely to be literate
In Zambia, the literacy rate is 71.8% as of 2024. In Swaziland, it is 90.8% as of 2022.
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 Swaziland, 118.0 women do as of 2023.
be 22.0% 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 Swaziland, on the other hand, 42.2 children do as of 2024.
have 27.7% fewer children
In Zambia, there are approximately 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Swaziland, there are 23.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 69.1% 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 Swaziland, that number is 86% of people on average (91% in urban areas, and 85% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 3.7 times more likely to have internet access
In Zambia, approximately 17.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Swaziland, about 63.4% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 48.2% more on education
Zambia spends 4.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Swaziland spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 25.4% more on healthcare
Zambia spends 6.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Swaziland, that number is 7.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 44.4% more likely to die in a road accident
In Zambia, road accidents kill 17.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Swaziland, they kill 24.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 3.2 times more home broadband
Zambia has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Swaziland has 2.5 as of 2024.
use 65.1% more electricity
Zambia uses 727 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Swaziland uses 1,200 kWh as of 2023.
live with 27.3 times more strain on fresh water
Zambia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Swaziland withdraws 78% as of 2022.
Environment
be 32.0% more likely to die from air pollution
In Zambia, air pollution causes 50.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Swaziland, it causes 66.0 as of 2019.
emit 63.0% more CO2
Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Swaziland emits 0.9 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. Swaziland
Swaziland: At a glance
How big is Swaziland compared to Zambia? See an in-depth size comparison.