Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zimbabwe instead of Zambia, you would:
Health
live 3.5 years less
In Zambia, the average life expectancy is 67 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, that number is 63 years (60 years for men, 65 years for women) as of 2024.
be 27.0% more likely to be obese
In Zambia, 11.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, that number is 14.7% of people as of 2024.
see 57.7% less spent on your healthcare
Zambia spends $244 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zimbabwe spends $103 as of 2023.
have 58.0% fewer doctors per person
Zambia has 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Zimbabwe has 1.4 as of 2023.
be 2.4 times more likely to die by suicide
Zambia has a suicide rate of 7.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zimbabwe, it is 17.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 36.2% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Zambia, 60.0% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Zimbabwe, however, that number is 38.3% as of 2019.
make 2.3 times more money
Zambia has a GDP per capita of $1,318 as of 2025, while in Zimbabwe, the GDP per capita is $3,021 as of 2025.
be 56.9% more likely to be unemployed
In Zambia, 5.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zimbabwe, that number is 9.3% as of 2025.
Life
be 25.0% more likely to be literate
In Zambia, the literacy rate is 71.8% as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, it is 89.7% as of 2021.
be 4.2 times more 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 Zimbabwe, 358.0 women do as of 2023.
be 80.3% more 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 Zimbabwe, on the other hand, 62.4 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 21.3% 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 Zimbabwe, that number is 62% of people on average (84% in urban areas, and 51% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 2.4 times more likely to have internet access
In Zambia, approximately 17.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zimbabwe, about 41.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 90.7% less on education
Zambia spends 4.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Zimbabwe spends 0.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 51.0% less on healthcare
Zambia spends 6.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zimbabwe, that number is 2.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 74.9% more likely to die in a road accident
In Zambia, road accidents kill 17.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zimbabwe, they kill 29.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 2.5 times more home broadband
Zambia has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Zimbabwe has 1.9 as of 2024.
live with 16.2 times more strain on fresh water
Zambia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zimbabwe withdraws 46% as of 2022.
use 30.7% less electricity
Zambia uses 727 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Zimbabwe uses 504 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 12.0% more likely to die from air pollution
In Zambia, air pollution causes 50.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zimbabwe, it causes 56.0 as of 2019.
emit 42.6% more CO2
Zambia emits 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Zimbabwe emits 0.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Zambia vs. Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: At a glance
How big is Zimbabwe compared to Zambia? See an in-depth size comparison.