Moving to Zambia from Sweden
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Sweden to Zambia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Sweden to Zambia, and you’d need to navigate life in English. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Lusaka averages 80°F vs 52°F in Stockholm, making it significantly warmer.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Sweden and Zambia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Sweden performs better than Zambia across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Zambia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sweden leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Sweden generally does better on environment, though Zambia leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Sweden generally does better on infrastructure, though Zambia leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Sweden generally does better on employment & economy, though Zambia leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Sweden performs better than Zambia across all family life metrics.
Data: Skatteverket, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Stockholm | Lusaka |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 36°/28°F (2°/-2°C) | 80°/62°F (27°/17°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) | 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 69°/56°F (21°/13°C) | 79°/55°F (26°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 43°/36°F (6°/2°C) | 85°/64°F (29°/18°C) |
View all months
| Month | Stockholm | Lusaka |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34°/27°F (1.0°/-2.9°C) | 80°/63°F (26.6°/17.1°C) |
| Feb | 34°/26°F (1.2°/-3.2°C) | 80°/62°F (26.5°/16.8°C) |
| Mar | 40°/30°F (4.7°/-1.1°C) | 81°/62°F (27.0°/16.6°C) |
| Apr | 51°/37°F (10.7°/2.6°C) | 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.1°C) |
| May | 62°/45°F (16.5°/7.1°C) | 78°/55°F (25.3°/12.7°C) |
| Jun | 69°/53°F (20.8°/11.6°C) | 74°/51°F (23.4°/10.6°C) |
| Jul | 74°/59°F (23.6°/14.8°C) | 73°/50°F (23.0°/10.2°C) |
| Aug | 72°/58°F (22.1°/14.2°C) | 79°/54°F (25.9°/12.3°C) |
| Sep | 62°/50°F (16.6°/10.2°C) | 85°/60°F (29.4°/15.3°C) |
| Oct | 50°/42°F (10.1°/5.5°C) | 87°/64°F (30.8°/17.5°C) |
| Nov | 42°/35°F (5.4°/1.9°C) | 86°/64°F (29.9°/17.9°C) |
| Dec | 36°/30°F (2.5°/-1.2°C) | 81°/63°F (27.2°/17.3°C) |
Data:
Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI),
Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD)
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Sweden and Zambia. To live, work, or study long-term in Zambia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Zambia's immigration authority.
Sweden passport holder visiting Zambia
Visa Free
Zambia passport holder visiting Sweden
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from Zambia?
With 0.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Zambia can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Sweden and Zambia.
Is Zambia safe for expats?
Sweden performs better than Zambia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Zambia is 5.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Sweden.
How is healthcare in Zambia compared to Sweden?
Zambia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sweden leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 2.6 doctors per 10,000 people in Zambia, compared to 71.5 in Sweden. Zambia scores 56 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Sweden: 85).
What's the weather like in Zambia compared to Sweden?
The average high temperature in Lusaka is 80°F, compared to 52°F in Stockholm. Lusaka receives around 31.4 in of rainfall per year, while Stockholm gets 21.5 in.
What language do they speak in Zambia?
The official language in Zambia is English. In Sweden, the official language is Swedish.
