Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Romania 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 Romania, that number is 0.1% of people as of 2020.

live 9.5 years longer

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

be 2.8 times more likely to be obese

In Zambia, 8.1% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Romania, that number is 22.5% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 10.9 times more money

Zambia has a GDP per capita of $3,700 as of 2023, while in Romania, the GDP per capita is $40,500 as of 2023.

be 64.7% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Zambia, 60.0% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Romania, however, that number is 21.2% as of 2021.

pay a 54.3% lower top tax rate

Zambia has a top tax rate of 35.0% as of 2016. In Romania, the top tax rate is 16.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 92.6% less likely to die during childbirth

In Zambia, approximately 135.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Romania, 10.0 women do as of 2020.

be 14.1% more likely to be literate

In Zambia, the literacy rate is 86.7% as of 2018. In Romania, it is 98.9% as of 2021.

be 84.3% 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 Romania, on the other hand, 5.8 children do as of 2022.

have 75.1% fewer children

In Zambia, there are approximately 34.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Romania, there are 8.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 2.1 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Zambia, approximately 48% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Romania, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 4.0 times more likely to have internet access

In Zambia, approximately 21.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Romania, about 84.0% do as of 2021.

be 39.7% 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 Romania, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 12.5% more on healthcare

Zambia spends 5.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Romania, that number is 6.3% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Zambia Revenue Authority, National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF).

Romania: At a glance

Romania is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 229,891 sq km. The principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia - for centuries under the suzerainty of the Turkish Ottoman Empire - secured their autonomy in 1856; they were de facto linked in 1859 and formally united in 1862 under the new name of Romania. The country gained recognition of its independence in 1878. It joined the Allied Powers in World War I and acquired new territories - most notably Transylvania - following the conflict. In 1940, Romania allied with the Axis powers and participated in the 1941 German invasion of the USSR. Three years later, overrun by the Soviets, Romania signed an armistice. The post-war Soviet occupation led to the formation of a communist "people's republic" in 1947 and the abdication of the king. The decades-long rule of dictator Nicolae CEAUSESCU, who took power in 1965, and his Securitate police state became increasingly oppressive and draconian through the 1980s. CEAUSESCU was overthrown and executed in late 1989. Former communists dominated the government until 1996 when they were swept from power. Romania joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007.
Read more

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

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

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