| Ranking | South Africa | Zambia | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Countries with the highest income inequality2026-11-02 | #2 · 0.54 index (0-1) | #3 · 0.51 index (0-1) | South Africa by 1 |
| Countries with the largest stock market value relative to GDP2026-11-02 | #2 · 327.24 % of GDP | #31 · 51.62 % of GDP | South Africa by 29 |
| Countries with the highest share of electricity from coal2026-11-02 | #2 · 85.02 % of total electricity | #41 · 17.39 % of total electricity | South Africa by 39 |
| Countries where most people cannot afford enough calories2026-11-02 | #13 · 47.6 % | #3 · 64 % | Zambia by 10 |
| Countries with the highest coal rents as a share of GDP2026-11-02 | #4 · 2.44 % of GDP | #22 · 0.23 % of GDP | South Africa by 18 |
| Countries with the highest wheat yields2026-11-02 | #42 · 3.81 tonnes per hectare | #4 · 7.09 tonnes per hectare | Zambia by 38 |
| Countries with the highest share of people in extreme poverty2026-11-02 | #25 · 17.44 % | #4 · 71.66 % | Zambia by 21 |
| Countries with the highest barley yields2026-10-29 | #37 · 3.71 tonnes per hectare | #5 · 6.47 tonnes per hectare | Zambia by 32 |
| Countries with the highest share of people below national poverty lines2026-11-02 | #21 · 37.9 % | #5 · 60 % | Zambia by 16 |
| Countries with the highest sugar cane yields2026-11-02 | #33 · 69.1 tonnes per hectare | #5 · 103.68 tonnes per hectare | Zambia by 28 |
| Countries with the highest share of people living on under $3 a day2026-11-02 | #47 · 17.4 % of population | #6 · 71.7 % of population | Zambia by 41 |
| Countries with the most people who cannot afford enough calories2026-11-02 | #7 · 29.3k thousand people | #18 · 12.5k thousand people | South Africa by 11 |
| Countries with the highest death rates from fires and burns2026-11-02 | #8 · 6.07 per 100,000 people | #33 · 3.4 per 100,000 people | South Africa by 25 |
| Countries with the most wildfire smoke emissions (PM2.5)2026-10-30 | #26 · 140.44 thousand tonnes | #9 · 542.2 thousand tonnes | Zambia by 17 |
| Countries with the highest tuberculosis death rates2026-11-02 | #10 · 93.19 per 100,000 people | #32 · 40.17 per 100,000 people | South Africa by 22 |
| Countries with the most people in extreme poverty2026-10-29 | #13 · 11 million | #11 · 14.44 million | Zambia by 2 |
| Countries with the most people in extreme poverty2026-11-02 | #13 · 11.0k thousand people | #11 · 14.4k thousand people | Zambia by 2 |
| Countries with the largest external debt2026-10-29 | #12 · 175.9 DOD, current US$ bn | #42 · 28.12 DOD, current US$ bn | South Africa by 30 |
| Countries with the most agricultural land2026-11-02 | #12 · 78.69 million hectares | #49 · 16.98 million hectares | South Africa by 37 |
| Countries producing the most soybeans2026-11-02 | #12 · 1,848 thousand tonnes | #34 · 169.7 thousand tonnes | South Africa by 22 |
| Countries with the highest tuberculosis incidence2026-11-02 | #12 · 389 per 100,000 people | #23 · 272 per 100,000 people | South Africa by 11 |
| Countries producing the most sugar cane2026-11-02 | #13 · 16.74 million tonnes | #32 · 4.89 million tonnes | South Africa by 19 |
| Countries producing the most beef2026-10-30 | #14 · 1,101.97 thousand tonnes | #50 · 221.93 thousand tonnes | South Africa by 36 |
| Countries with the heaviest debt service burden (share of exports)2026-10-29 | #47 · 16.3 % of exports of goods, services and primary income | #14 · 30.47 % of exports of goods, services and primary income | Zambia by 33 |
| Countries with the highest death rates from poisoning2026-11-02 | #16 · 1.69 per 100,000 people | #42 · 1.18 per 100,000 people | South Africa by 26 |
| Countries with the largest share of the world's forest2026-11-02 | #27 · 0.55 % of global total | #18 · 1.08 % of global total | Zambia by 9 |
| Countries with the largest forest area2026-11-02 | #27 · 228.81 thousand sq. km | #18 · 448.74 thousand sq. km | Zambia by 9 |
| Countries with the highest death rates from hypertensive heart disease2026-11-02 | #41 · 35.55 per 100,000 people | #18 · 51.56 per 100,000 people | Zambia by 23 |
| Countries with the highest government debt (share of GDP)2026-10-29 | #19 · 82.76 % of GDP | #30 · 71.41 % of GDP | South Africa by 11 |
| Countries with the most children not vaccinated against DTP32026-11-02 | #20 · 251.72 thousand children | #42 · 89.88 thousand children | South Africa by 22 |
| Countries with the most people without electricity2026-11-02 | #27 · 6,272.71 thousand people | #21 · 9,890.14 thousand people | Zambia by 6 |
| Countries with the highest child homicide rates2026-11-02 | #21 · 8 per 100,000 people | #38 · 6 per 100,000 people | South Africa by 17 |
| Countries with the longest pre-primary education2026-11-02 | #22 · 4 years | #26 · 4 years | South Africa by 4 |
| Largest countries by land area2026-10-28 | #24 · 1,213.09 thousand km² | #37 · 743.39 thousand km² | South Africa by 13 |
| Countries with the most births per year2026-11-02 | #24 · 1,186.79 thousand births | #44 · 685.57 thousand births | South Africa by 20 |
| Countries with the highest nitrous oxide emissions2026-11-02 | #26 · 19.05 Mt CO2e | #49 · 8.67 Mt CO2e | South Africa by 23 |
| Countries with the highest death rates from malnutrition2026-11-02 | #45 · 4.23 per 100,000 people | #27 · 6.93 per 100,000 people | Zambia by 18 |
| Countries with the most deaths of children under five2026-11-02 | #28 · 41.44 thousand deaths | #32 · 32.95 thousand deaths | South Africa by 4 |
| Countries with the highest meningitis death rates2026-11-02 | #41 · 5.96 per 100,000 people | #29 · 9.05 per 100,000 people | Zambia by 12 |
| Countries receiving the most development aid2026-10-29 | #29 · 1,506.95 current US$ million | #31 · 1,421.93 current US$ million | South Africa by 2 |
| Countries with the highest death rates from diarrhoeal diseases2026-11-02 | #31 · 27.24 per 100,000 people | #34 · 25.04 per 100,000 people | South Africa by 3 |
| Countries using the most nitrogen fertilizer2026-11-02 | #32 · 420.64 thousand tonnes | #44 · 232.09 thousand tonnes | South Africa by 12 |
History
Rank history in Countries with the highest income inequality
Head to head
South Africa vs Zambia, explained
South Africa vs Zambia, head to head across 42 shared rankings. South Africa ranks higher in 25, Zambia ranks higher in 17. On that count South Africa comes out ahead overall, though each ranking measures something different, so the detail below matters more than the tally.
Ranking by ranking: in Countries with the highest income inequality, South Africa is #2 with 0.54 index (0-1) and Zambia is #3 with 0.51 index (0-1) (South Africa ahead by 1); in Countries with the largest stock market value relative to GDP, South Africa is #2 with 327.24 % of GDP and Zambia is #31 with 51.62 % of GDP (South Africa ahead by 29); in Countries with the highest share of electricity from coal, South Africa is #2 with 85.02 % of total electricity and Zambia is #41 with 17.39 % of total electricity (South Africa ahead by 39); in Countries where most people cannot afford enough calories, South Africa is #13 with 47.6 % and Zambia is #3 with 64 % (Zambia ahead by 10); in Countries with the highest coal rents as a share of GDP, South Africa is #4 with 2.44 % of GDP and Zambia is #22 with 0.23 % of GDP (South Africa ahead by 18); in Countries with the highest wheat yields, South Africa is #42 with 3.81 tonnes per hectare and Zambia is #4 with 7.09 tonnes per hectare (Zambia ahead by 38).
Within each ranking both entries are measured by the same metric from the same source at the same time, which makes every row a like-for-like comparison. Across rankings the metrics differ, so a lead in one does not cancel out a deficit in another. The rank history chart tracks both entries through every published snapshot of the first shared ranking.
Dates shown next to each ranking are the capture dates of the snapshots used, so you always know how current a comparison is. Each entry also has a profile page listing every ranking it appears in, and each ranking has a quiz if you want to test whether you could have named the top 10.
Top10Earth never estimates or edits a value: each number is fetched from its source, hashed, stored and ranked by software, then checked by a quality gate before it is published. If a refresh fails the gate, the previous snapshot stays live and the problem is reviewed by a person.
Frequently asked questions
- Who ranks higher, South Africa or Zambia?
- South Africa ranks higher in more shared rankings (25 of 42). In Countries with the highest income inequality, South Africa is #2 and Zambia is #3.
- In how many rankings do South Africa and Zambia both appear?
- 42 current rankings.
- How current is this comparison?
- The newest shared snapshot was captured on 2026-11-02.