If you lived in Tajikistan 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 Tajikistan, that number is 0.2% of people as of 2024.

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live 5.4 years longer

In Zambia, the average life expectancy is 67 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024. In Tajikistan, that number is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 49.4% more spent on your healthcare

Zambia spends $244 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Tajikistan spends $364 as of 2023.

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have 5.8 times more doctors per person

Zambia has 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Tajikistan has 18.7 as of 2023.

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have 19.6% more access to essential health services

Zambia scores 56 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Tajikistan scores 67 as of 2021.

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be 65.9% less likely to die by suicide

Zambia has a suicide rate of 7.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Tajikistan, it is 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 99.2% more likely to be obese

In Zambia, 11.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Tajikistan, that number is 23.1% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

be 67.0% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Zambia, 60.0% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Tajikistan, however, that number is 19.8% as of 2024.

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make 24.2% more money

Zambia has a GDP per capita of $1,318 as of 2025, while in Tajikistan, the GDP per capita is $1,637 as of 2025.

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be 17.1% more likely to be unemployed

In Zambia, 5.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Tajikistan, that number is 6.9% as of 2025.

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Life

be 83.5% less 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 Tajikistan, 14.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 32.1% 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 Tajikistan, on the other hand, 23.5 children do as of 2024.

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have 22.6% fewer children

In Zambia, there are approximately 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Tajikistan, there are 25.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 95.7% 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 Tajikistan, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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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 Tajikistan, about 55.8% do as of 2024.

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be 21.5% 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 Tajikistan, that number is 89% of people on average (95% in urban areas, and 87% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 33.7% more on education

Zambia spends 4.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Tajikistan spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 24.4% more on healthcare

Zambia spends 6.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Tajikistan, that number is 7.4% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 18.7% less likely to die in a road accident

In Zambia, road accidents kill 17.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Tajikistan, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 24.1% more home broadband

Zambia has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Tajikistan has 1.0 as of 2023.

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use 2.1 times more electricity

Zambia uses 727 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Tajikistan uses 1,497 kWh as of 2023.

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live with 24.6 times more strain on fresh water

Zambia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Tajikistan withdraws 70% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 3.2 times more likely to die from air pollution

In Zambia, air pollution causes 50.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Tajikistan, it causes 159.0 as of 2019.

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emit 70.4% more CO2

Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Tajikistan emits 0.9 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Tajikistan: At a glance

Tajikistan is a sovereign country in Central Asia, with a total land area of approximately 141,510 sq km. The Tajik people came under Russian rule in the 1860s and 1870s, but Russia's hold on Central Asia weakened following the Revolution of 1917. Bands of indigenous guerrillas (called "basmachi") fiercely contested Bolshevik control of the area, which was not fully reestablished until 1925. Tajikistan was first created as an autonomous republic within Uzbekistan in 1924, but the USSR designated Tajikistan a separate republic in 1929 and transferred to it much of present-day Sughd province. Ethnic Uzbeks form a substantial minority in Tajikistan. Tajikistan became independent in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union, and experienced a civil war between regional factions from 1992 to 1997. Tajikistan endured several domestic security incidents during 2010-12, including armed conflict between government forces and local strongmen in the Rasht Valley and between government forces and criminal groups in Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast. The country remains the poorest in the former Soviet sphere. Tajikistan became a member of the World Trade Organization in March 2013. However, its economy continues to face major challenges, including dependence on remittances from Tajikistanis working in Russia, pervasive corruption, and the major role narcotrafficking plays in the country's informal economy.
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How big is Tajikistan compared to Zambia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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