Travel safety comparison · Africa
Zambia vs Zimbabwe: safety comparison
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Side-by-side safety comparison of Zambia and Zimbabwe for 2026: risk scores, FCDO and US State Department advisories, drug law, women's safety, LGBTQ+ legal status, and the practical decision between the two.
Zambia sits a little lower on the Warnely composite score than Zimbabwe (28 against 42), but the gap is small enough that the practical difference comes down to category-by-category detail rather than the headline. The biggest single category gap is in crime, where Zambia scores 2/5 against Zimbabwe's 3/5. The US State Department currently carries a Level 1 advisory on Zambia and a Level 2 on Zimbabwe.
| 🇿🇲Zambia | 🇿🇼Zimbabwe | |
|---|---|---|
| Warnely composite (0–100, lower is safer) | 28 / 100 | 42 / 100 |
| Risk tier | Exercise Normal Caution | Exercise Increased Caution |
| UK FCDO advisory | No active advisory | No active advisory |
| US State Department advisory | Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) | Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution) |
| Global Peace Index rank | #64 | #114 |
| Drug law | Severe (long sentences) | Severe (long sentences) |
| Women's safety rating | Exercise Caution | Exercise Caution |
| LGBTQ+ legal status | illegal | illegal |
| Tap water | n/a | n/a |
| Currency | ZMW | ZWL |