If you lived in Zambia instead of Syria, you would:

Health

be 70.9% less likely to be obese

In Syria, 27.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Zambia, that number is 8.1% of people as of 2016.

be 111.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Syria, 0.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Zambia, that number is 11.1% of people as of 2020.

live 8.0 years less

In Syria, the average life expectancy is 74 years (73 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022. In Zambia, that number is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 17.2% more money

Syria has a GDP per capita of $2,900 as of 2015, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $3,400 as of 2022.

be 68.4% less likely to be unemployed

In Syria, 13.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Zambia, that number is 4.4% as of 2022.

be 34.1% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Syria, 82.5% live below the poverty line as of 2014. In Zambia, however, that number is 54.4% as of 2015.

pay a 59.1% higher top tax rate

Syria has a top tax rate of 22.0% as of 2016. In Zambia, the top tax rate is 35.0% as of 2016.

Life

have 57.1% more children

In Syria, there are approximately 21.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zambia, there are 34.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 4.5 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Syria, approximately 30.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Zambia, 135.0 women do as of 2020.

be 2.3 times more likely to die during infancy

In Syria, approximately 15.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Zambia, on the other hand, 37.1 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 47.5% less likely to have access to electricity

In Syria, approximately 89% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 74% in rural areas) as of 2021. In Zambia, that number is 47% of people on average (86% in urban areas, and 14% in rural areas) as of 2021.

be 54.9% less likely to have internet access

In Syria, approximately 46.6% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Zambia, about 21.0% do as of 2021.

be 28.3% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Syria, approximately 100% of people have improved drinking water access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Zambia, that number is 72% of people on average (90% in urban areas, and 57% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 27.5% less on education

Syria spends 5.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2009. Zambia spends 3.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.


The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance, Syria, Zambia Revenue Authority.

Zambia: At a glance

Zambia is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 743,398 sq km. The territory of Northern Rhodesia was administered by the [British] South Africa Company from 1891 until it was taken over by the UK in 1923. During the 1920s and 1930s, advances in mining spurred development and immigration. The name was changed to Zambia upon independence in 1964. In the 1980s and 1990s, declining copper prices, economic mismanagement and a prolonged drought hurt the economy. Elections in 1991 brought an end to one-party rule, but the subsequent vote in 1996 saw blatant harassment of opposition parties. The election in 2001 was marked by administrative problems with three parties filing a legal petition challenging the election of ruling party candidate Levy MWANAWASA. MWANAWASA was reelected in 2006 in an election that was deemed free and fair. Upon his abrupt death in August 2008, he was succeeded by his vice president, Rupiah BANDA, who subsequently won a special presidential by-election in October 2008. Michael SATA was elected president in September 2011.
Read more

How big is Zambia compared to Syria? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Zambia.or Syria It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.