South Africa vs Zambia
South Africa vs Zambia: Learning-adjusted schooling
Learning-adjusted schooling in 2020: 5.6 years in South Africa and 5 years in Zambia, by World Bank estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in South Africa, by 0.6 years, or 1.11 times that in Zambia.
years · World Bank
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher since 2018, when it overtook Zambia.
- In 2020, South Africa ranked 138 and Zambia ranked 149 of 174 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
years · World Bank
| Year | South Africa | Zambia |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 5.6 | 5 |
| 2018 | 5.6 | 5 |
| 2017 | 5.1 | 5.3 |
| 2010 | 6.2 | – |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The years of school a child can expect by 18, cut to what students actually learn: the World Bank’s learning-adjusted years of school.
- Source: World Bank Human Capital Index, via Our World in Data.
- Ranks count the 174 countries with a value in 2020, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
South Africa vs Zambia
Health
- Life expectancySouth Africa: 66.1 years in 2023Zambia: 66.4 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySouth Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024Zambia: 4.8 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySouth Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Zambia: 38.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSouth Africa: 3.75% in 2017Zambia: 3.64% in 2017
- Suicide rateSouth Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Zambia: 13.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSouth Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023Zambia: 20.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthSouth Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023Zambia: 2.83% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSouth Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023Zambia: 4.1 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSouth Africa: 63.8% in 2025Zambia: 45.9% in 2025
- Median ageSouth Africa: 28.2 years in 2023Zambia: 17.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSouth Africa: 6.5% in 2023Zambia: 1.9% in 2023
- Net migration rateSouth Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023Zambia: 0.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSouth Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025Zambia: 1.26% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSouth Africa: $3B in 2025Zambia: $343M in 2025
- Military spending per personSouth Africa: $49 in 2025Zambia: $19 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSouth Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025Zambia: 4.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSouth Africa: 89,000 people in 2020Zambia: 16,000 people in 2020
- National powerSouth Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022Zambia: 0.1% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSouth Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020Zambia: 0.24% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSouth Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025Zambia: 1 million TIV in 2024
- Arms exportsSouth Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025Zambia: 2 million TIV in 1990