Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United States instead of Zambia, you would:
Health
live 12.4 years longer
In Zambia, the average life expectancy is 67 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024. In United States, that number is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
see 55.3 times more spent on your healthcare
Zambia spends $244 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United States spends $13,473 as of 2023.
have 11.4 times more doctors per person
Zambia has 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. United States has 36.8 as of 2022.
have 53.6% more access to essential health services
Zambia scores 56 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. United States scores 86 as of 2021.
be 3.5 times more likely to be obese
In Zambia, 11.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United States, that number is 41.0% of people as of 2024.
be 2.2 times more likely to die by suicide
Zambia has a suicide rate of 7.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United States, it is 15.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 29.1% less likely to be unemployed
In Zambia, 5.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United States, that number is 4.2% as of 2025.
make 68.3 times more money
Zambia has a GDP per capita of $1,318 as of 2025, while in United States, the GDP per capita is $90,027 as of 2025.
Life
be 80.0% 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 States, 17.0 women do as of 2023.
be 84.1% 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 United States, on the other hand, 5.5 children do as of 2024.
have 67.6% fewer children
In Zambia, there are approximately 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United States, there are 10.6 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 States, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 5.5 times more likely to have internet access
In Zambia, approximately 17.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In United States, about 94.7% 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 States, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 33.2% more on education
Zambia spends 4.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. United States spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 2.8 times more on healthcare
Zambia spends 6.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In United States, that number is 16.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 17.0% less likely to die in a road accident
In Zambia, road accidents kill 17.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United States, they kill 14.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 49.2 times more home broadband
Zambia has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. United States has 38.9 as of 2024.
use 17.7 times more electricity
Zambia uses 727 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. United States uses 12,839 kWh as of 2024.
live with 9.9 times more strain on fresh water
Zambia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United States withdraws 28% as of 2022.
Environment
be 72.0% less likely to die from air pollution
In Zambia, air pollution causes 50.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United States, it causes 14.0 as of 2019.
emit 25.2 times more CO2
Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United States emits 13.6 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. United States
United States: At a glance
How big is United States compared to Zambia? See an in-depth size comparison.