Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United Arab Emirates 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 United Arab Emirates, that number is 0.1% of people as of 2024.
live 16.5 years longer
In Zambia, the average life expectancy is 67 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 83 years (82 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024.
see 15.3 times more spent on your healthcare
Zambia spends $244 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United Arab Emirates spends $3,727 as of 2023.
have 9.2 times more doctors per person
Zambia has 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. United Arab Emirates has 29.9 as of 2023.
have 46.4% more access to essential health services
Zambia scores 56 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. United Arab Emirates scores 82 as of 2021.
be 76.0% less likely to die by suicide
Zambia has a suicide rate of 7.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United Arab Emirates, it is 1.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 2.7 times more likely to be obese
In Zambia, 11.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 31.6% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 63.3% less likely to be unemployed
In Zambia, 5.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 2.2% as of 2025.
make 38.1 times more money
Zambia has a GDP per capita of $1,318 as of 2025, while in United Arab Emirates, the GDP per capita is $50,274 as of 2024.
Life
be 96.5% 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 United Arab Emirates, 3.0 women do as of 2023.
be 37.7% more likely to be literate
In Zambia, the literacy rate is 71.8% as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, it is 98.8% as of 2024.
be 89.0% 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 United Arab Emirates, on the other hand, 3.8 children do as of 2024.
have 70.0% fewer children
In Zambia, there are approximately 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, there are 9.8 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 United Arab Emirates, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 5.8 times more likely to have internet access
In Zambia, approximately 17.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, about 100.0% do as of 2024.
be 36.2% 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 United Arab Emirates, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 16.9% less on healthcare
Zambia spends 6.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 5.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 65.5% less likely to die in a road accident
In Zambia, road accidents kill 17.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United Arab Emirates, they kill 5.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 51.7 times more home broadband
Zambia has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. United Arab Emirates has 40.8 as of 2024.
use 21.0 times more electricity
Zambia uses 727 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. United Arab Emirates uses 15,285 kWh as of 2023.
live with 531.7 times more strain on fresh water
Zambia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United Arab Emirates withdraws 1510% as of 2022.
Environment
be 40.0% more likely to die from air pollution
In Zambia, air pollution causes 50.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United Arab Emirates, it causes 70.0 as of 2019.
emit 33.8 times more CO2
Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United Arab Emirates emits 18.3 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. United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: At a glance
How big is United Arab Emirates compared to Zambia? See an in-depth size comparison.