Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 2.4 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Zambia, 11.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Swaziland, that number is 26.8% of people as of 2020.

live 6.6 years less

In Zambia, the average life expectancy is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2022. In Swaziland, that number is 60 years (58 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2022.

be 2.0 times more likely to be obese

In Zambia, 8.1% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Swaziland, that number is 16.5% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 2.9 times more money

Zambia has a GDP per capita of $3,700 as of 2023, while in Swaziland, the GDP per capita is $10,600 as of 2023.

be 6.4 times more likely to be unemployed

In Zambia, 5.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Swaziland, that number is 37.6% as of 2023.

Life

be 3.2 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Zambia, approximately 135.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Swaziland, 437.0 women do as of 2017.

have 34.6% fewer children

In Zambia, there are approximately 34.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Swaziland, there are 22.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 72.2% more likely to have access to electricity

In Zambia, approximately 48% of people have electricity access (86% in urban areas, and 14% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Swaziland, that number is 82% of people on average (94% in urban areas, and 79% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 2.8 times more likely to have internet access

In Zambia, approximately 21.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Swaziland, about 59.0% do as of 2021.

be 12.2% 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 Swaziland, that number is 80% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 75% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 35.1% more on education

Zambia spends 3.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Swaziland spends 5.0% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

spend 16.1% more on healthcare

Zambia spends 5.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Swaziland, that number is 6.5% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Swaziland: At a glance

Swaziland is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 17,204 sq km. Autonomy for the Swazis of southern Africa was guaranteed by the British in the late 19th century; independence was granted in 1968. Student and labor unrest during the 1990s pressured King MSWATI III, Africa's last absolute monarch, to grudgingly allow political reform and greater democracy, although he has backslid on these promises in recent years. A constitution came into effect in 2006, but the legal status of political parties remains unclear. The African United Democratic Party tried unsuccessfully to register as an official political party in mid 2006. Talks over the constitution broke down between the government and progressive groups in 2007. Swaziland recently surpassed Botswana as the country with the world's highest known HIV/AIDS prevalence rate.
Read more

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

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

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