Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Democratic Republic of the Congo instead of Zambia, you would:
Health
be 93.7% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Zambia, 11.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 0.7% of people as of 2020.
be 17.3% less likely to be obese
In Zambia, 8.1% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 6.7% of people as of 2016.
live 4.4 years less
In Zambia, the average life expectancy is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2022. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 years for women) as of 2022.
Economy
make 67.6% less money
Zambia has a GDP per capita of $3,400 as of 2022, while in Democratic Republic of the Congo, the GDP per capita is $1,100 as of 2022.
be 15.8% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Zambia, 54.4% live below the poverty line as of 2015. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, however, that number is 63.0% as of 2014.
Life
have 15.0% more children
In Zambia, there are approximately 34.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, there are 39.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 4.1 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Zambia, approximately 135.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 547.0 women do as of 2020.
be 64.0% more likely to die during infancy
In Zambia, approximately 37.1 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the other hand, 60.9 children do as of 2022.
Basic Needs
be 10.5% more likely to have internet access
In Zambia, approximately 21.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, about 23.2% do as of 2021.
be 55.6% less likely to have access to electricity
In Zambia, approximately 47% of people have electricity access (86% in urban areas, and 14% in rural areas) as of 2021. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 21% of people on average (44% in urban areas, and 1% in rural areas) as of 2021.
be 17.0% less likely to have access to improved drinking water
In Zambia, approximately 72% of people have improved drinking water access (90% in urban areas, and 57% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 59% of people on average (89% in urban areas, and 35% in rural areas) as of 2020.
Expenditures
spend 27.0% less on education
Zambia spends 3.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 2.7% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 26.8% less on healthcare
Zambia spends 5.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Democratic Republic of the Congo, that number is 4.1% of GDP as of 2020.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.
Democratic Republic of the Congo: At a glance
How big is Democratic Republic of the Congo compared to Zambia? See an in-depth size comparison.