Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Turkmenistan instead of Zambia, you would:
Health
live 3.7 years longer
In Zambia, the average life expectancy is 67 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, that number is 70 years (67 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2024.
see 5.2 times more spent on your healthcare
Zambia spends $244 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Turkmenistan spends $1,264 as of 2023.
have 6.0 times more doctors per person
Zambia has 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Turkmenistan has 19.3 as of 2023.
have 33.9% more access to essential health services
Zambia scores 56 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Turkmenistan scores 75 as of 2021.
be 91.9% more likely to be obese
In Zambia, 11.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, that number is 22.2% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 27.9% less likely to be unemployed
In Zambia, 5.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Turkmenistan, that number is 4.3% as of 2025.
make 5.0 times more money
Zambia has a GDP per capita of $1,318 as of 2025, while in Turkmenistan, the GDP per capita is $6,540 as of 2025.
Life
be 94.1% 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 Turkmenistan, 5.0 women do as of 2023.
be 39.2% more likely to be literate
In Zambia, the literacy rate is 71.8% as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, it is 99.9% as of 2022.
be 12.1% 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 Turkmenistan, on the other hand, 30.4 children do as of 2024.
have 36.1% fewer children
In Zambia, there are approximately 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, there are 20.9 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 Turkmenistan, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 48.0% more likely to have internet access
In Zambia, approximately 17.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, about 25.3% do as of 2022.
be 36.1% 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 Turkmenistan, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Safety
be 80.6% less likely to be murdered
Zambia has a homicide rate of 5.2 per 100,000 people as of 2015. In Turkmenistan, that number is 1.0 per 100,000 as of 2015.
be 53.2% less likely to die in a road accident
In Zambia, road accidents kill 17.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Turkmenistan, they kill 8.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 6.6 times more home broadband
Zambia has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Turkmenistan has 5.2 as of 2022.
use 3.8 times more electricity
Zambia uses 727 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Turkmenistan uses 2,778 kWh as of 2023.
live with 47.6 times more strain on fresh water
Zambia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Turkmenistan withdraws 135% as of 2022.
Environment
be 74.0% more likely to die from air pollution
In Zambia, air pollution causes 50.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Turkmenistan, it causes 87.0 as of 2019.
emit 20.1 times more CO2
Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Turkmenistan emits 10.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this
Compare further: Zambia vs. Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan: At a glance
How big is Turkmenistan compared to Zambia? See an in-depth size comparison.