Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 99.1% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Zambia, 11.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Bulgaria, that number is 0.1% of people as of 2019.

live 9.3 years longer

In Zambia, the average life expectancy is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2022. In Bulgaria, that number is 76 years (72 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2022.

be 3.1 times more likely to be obese

In Zambia, 8.1% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Bulgaria, that number is 25.0% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 7.9 times more money

Zambia has a GDP per capita of $3,400 as of 2022, while in Bulgaria, the GDP per capita is $27,000 as of 2022.

be 57.9% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Zambia, 54.4% live below the poverty line as of 2015. In Bulgaria, however, that number is 22.9% as of 2021.

pay a 71.4% lower top tax rate

Zambia has a top tax rate of 35.0% as of 2016. In Bulgaria, the top tax rate is 10.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 94.8% less likely to die during childbirth

In Zambia, approximately 135.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Bulgaria, 7.0 women do as of 2020.

be 13.5% more likely to be literate

In Zambia, the literacy rate is 86.7% as of 2018. In Bulgaria, it is 98.4% as of 2021.

be 78.5% less 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 Bulgaria, on the other hand, 8.0 children do as of 2022.

have 76.8% fewer children

In Zambia, there are approximately 34.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Bulgaria, there are 7.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 2.1 times more 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 Bulgaria, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2021.

be 3.6 times more likely to have internet access

In Zambia, approximately 21.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Bulgaria, about 75.0% do as of 2021.

be 38.3% more 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 Bulgaria, that number is 99% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 97% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 51.8% more on healthcare

Zambia spends 5.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Bulgaria, that number is 8.5% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, National Revenue Agency, Bulgaria, Zambia Revenue Authority.

Bulgaria: At a glance

Bulgaria is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 108,489 sq km. The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the end of the 14th century the country was overrun by the Ottoman Turks. Northern Bulgaria attained autonomy in 1878 and all of Bulgaria became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1908. Having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, Bulgaria fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first multiparty election since World War II and began the contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. The country joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007.
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How big is Bulgaria compared to Zambia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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