If you lived in Tunisia instead of Zambia, you would:

Health

be 98.9% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Zambia, 9.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Tunisia, that number is 0.1% of people as of 2024.

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live 10.2 years longer

In Zambia, the average life expectancy is 67 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024. In Tunisia, that number is 77 years (74 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 4.6 times more spent on your healthcare

Zambia spends $244 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Tunisia spends $1,113 as of 2023.

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have 4.1 times more doctors per person

Zambia has 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Tunisia has 13.2 as of 2021.

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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. Tunisia scores 67 as of 2021.

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be 74.2% less likely to die by suicide

Zambia has a suicide rate of 7.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Tunisia, it is 1.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 2.3 times more likely to be obese

In Zambia, 11.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Tunisia, that number is 26.1% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

be 72.3% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Zambia, 60.0% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Tunisia, however, that number is 16.6% as of 2021.

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make 3.5 times more money

Zambia has a GDP per capita of $1,318 as of 2025, while in Tunisia, the GDP per capita is $4,657 as of 2025.

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be 2.6 times more likely to be unemployed

In Zambia, 5.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Tunisia, that number is 15.1% as of 2025.

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Life

be 57.6% 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 Tunisia, 36.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 20.2% more likely to be literate

In Zambia, the literacy rate is 71.8% as of 2024. In Tunisia, it is 86.2% as of 2023.

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be 72.0% 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 Tunisia, on the other hand, 9.7 children do as of 2024.

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have 59.1% fewer children

In Zambia, there are approximately 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Tunisia, there are 13.4 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 Tunisia, 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 4.5 times more likely to have internet access

In Zambia, approximately 17.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Tunisia, about 76.5% do as of 2024.

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be 31.8% 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 Tunisia, that number is 97% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 93% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 65.4% more on education

Zambia spends 4.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Tunisia spends 6.7% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 33.6% more on healthcare

Zambia spends 6.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Tunisia, that number is 8.0% of GDP as of 2023.

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Infrastructure

find 18.9 times more home broadband

Zambia has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Tunisia has 15.0 as of 2024.

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use 2.2 times more electricity

Zambia uses 727 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Tunisia uses 1,629 kWh as of 2023.

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live with 34.5 times more strain on fresh water

Zambia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Tunisia withdraws 98% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 10.0% more likely to die from air pollution

In Zambia, air pollution causes 50.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Tunisia, it causes 55.0 as of 2019.

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emit 4.9 times more CO2

Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Tunisia emits 2.6 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

Tunisia: At a glance

Tunisia is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 155,360 sq km. Rivalry between French and Italian interests in Tunisia culminated in a French invasion in 1881 and the creation of a protectorate. Agitation for independence in the decades following World War I was finally successful in getting the French to recognize Tunisia as an independent state in 1956. The country's first president, Habib BOURGUIBA, established a strict one-party state. He dominated the country for 31 years, repressing Islamic fundamentalism and establishing rights for women unmatched by any other Arab nation. In November 1987, BOURGUIBA was removed from office and replaced by Zine el Abidine BEN ALI in a bloodless coup. Street protests that began in Tunis in December 2010 over high unemployment, corruption, widespread poverty, and high food prices escalated in January 2011, culminating in rioting that led to hundreds of deaths. On 14 January 2011, the same day BEN ALI dismissed the government, he fled the country, and by late January 2011, a "national unity government" was formed. Elections for the new Constituent Assembly were held in late October 2011, and in December, it elected human rights activist Moncef MARZOUKI as interim president. The Assembly began drafting a new constitution in February 2012 and, after several iterations and a months-long political crisis that stalled the transition, ratified the document in January 2014. Presidential and parliamentary elections for a permanent government could be held by the end of 2014.
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