Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Zambia instead of Zimbabwe, you would:
Health
live 3.5 years longer
In Zimbabwe, the average life expectancy is 63 years (60 years for men, 65 years for women) as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 67 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024.
be 21.3% less likely to be obese
In Zimbabwe, 14.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2024.
see 2.4 times more spent on your healthcare
Zimbabwe spends $103 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Zambia spends $244 as of 2023.
have 2.4 times more doctors per person
Zimbabwe has 1.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Zambia has 3.2 as of 2022.
be 58.9% less likely to die by suicide
Zimbabwe has a suicide rate of 17.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 7.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 36.3% less likely to be unemployed
In Zimbabwe, 9.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zambia, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
be 56.7% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Zimbabwe, 38.3% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Zambia, however, that number is 60.0% as of 2022.
make 56.4% less money
Zimbabwe has a GDP per capita of $3,021 as of 2025, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.
Life
be 76.3% less likely to die during childbirth
In Zimbabwe, approximately 358.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Zambia, 85.0 women do as of 2023.
be 44.6% less likely to die during infancy
In Zimbabwe, approximately 62.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Zambia, on the other hand, 34.6 children do as of 2024.
be 20.0% less likely to be literate
In Zimbabwe, the literacy rate is 89.7% as of 2021. In Zambia, it is 71.8% as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 17.6% less likely to have access to electricity
In Zimbabwe, approximately 62% of people have electricity access (84% in urban areas, and 51% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Zambia, that number is 51% of people on average (90% in urban areas, and 18% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 58.9% less likely to have internet access
In Zimbabwe, approximately 41.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 10.7 times more on education
Zimbabwe spends 0.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Zambia spends 4.1% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 2.0 times more on healthcare
Zimbabwe spends 2.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Zambia, that number is 6.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 42.8% less likely to die in a road accident
In Zimbabwe, road accidents kill 29.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Zambia, they kill 17.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 93.8% less strain on fresh water
Zimbabwe withdraws 46% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Zambia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 44.3% more electricity
Zimbabwe uses 504 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Zambia uses 727 kWh as of 2023.
find 59.3% less home broadband
Zimbabwe has 1.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.
Environment
be 10.7% less likely to die from air pollution
In Zimbabwe, air pollution causes 56.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Zambia, it causes 50.0 as of 2019.
emit 29.9% less CO2
Zimbabwe emits 0.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Zambia emits 0.5 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: Zimbabwe vs. Zambia
Zambia: At a glance
How big is Zambia compared to Zimbabwe? See an in-depth size comparison.