Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Tonga instead of Zambia, you would:
Health
live 6.5 years longer
In Zambia, the average life expectancy is 67 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024. In Tonga, that number is 73 years (70 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024.
see 2.1 times more spent on your healthcare
Zambia spends $244 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Tonga spends $512 as of 2023.
have 3.1 times more doctors per person
Zambia has 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Tonga has 10.1 as of 2021.
be 33.7% less likely to die by suicide
Zambia has a suicide rate of 7.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Tonga, it is 4.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 6.4 times more likely to be obese
In Zambia, 11.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Tonga, that number is 73.8% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 66.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Zambia, 5.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Tonga, that number is 2.0% as of 2025.
be 65.7% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Zambia, 60.0% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Tonga, however, that number is 20.6% as of 2021.
make 5.0 times more money
Zambia has a GDP per capita of $1,318 as of 2025, while in Tonga, the GDP per capita is $6,547 as of 2025.
Life
be 21.2% 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 Tonga, 67.0 women do as of 2023.
be 38.6% more likely to be literate
In Zambia, the literacy rate is 71.8% as of 2024. In Tonga, it is 99.5% as of 2023.
be 77.5% 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 Tonga, on the other hand, 7.8 children do as of 2024.
have 29.6% fewer children
In Zambia, there are approximately 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Tonga, there are 23.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
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 Tonga, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 3.9 times more likely to have internet access
In Zambia, approximately 17.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Tonga, about 67.4% do as of 2024.
be 34.7% 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 Tonga, that number is 99% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 99% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 30.5% more on education
Zambia spends 4.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Tonga spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 23.1% more on healthcare
Zambia spends 6.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Tonga, that number is 7.4% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 50.3% less likely to die in a road accident
In Zambia, road accidents kill 17.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Tonga, they kill 8.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 10.3 times more home broadband
Zambia has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Tonga has 8.2 as of 2022.
Environment
be 52.0% less likely to die from air pollution
In Zambia, air pollution causes 50.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Tonga, it causes 24.0 as of 2019.
emit 3.0 times more CO2
Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Tonga emits 1.6 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. Tonga
Tonga: At a glance
How big is Tonga compared to Zambia? See an in-depth size comparison.