placestats

Last European coloniser: United Kingdom · Largest religious group: Christians. These are labels that describe the country, not numbers, so they are never compared with other measures. The numbers behind them, such as population shares, are.

Zambia

Against lower middle income countries, Zambia ranks 4th of 47 on environment and 44th of 44 on equality. Each ranking counts only the countries that report that score, so the totals differ and the two ranks can’t be compared directly. Both compare Zambia with countries of similar wealth. That is the only kind of ranking that tells you something a ranking by income does not already show.

How it has changed

Every measure Zambia reports, over all the years it has been published. Pick one. Hover or use the arrow keys to read a year. Gaps in a line are years with no data. They are left open, not filled in.

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Scores by area

Each score averages the measures in one area, such as health. Each measure is first put on a common scale and turned so that higher is always better. Zero is the average country in an average year. One point is a typical gap between countries (a standard deviation), so +1 means about one typical gap above average. These are summaries, not measurements. See how the country scores are built and how the topic scores compare with each other.

ScoreValueRank, all countriesRank, similar incomeMostly income?
Governance score 2025+0.2192 of 17915 of 45moderate +0.53
Health score 2024-0.03110 of 19324 of 47moderate +0.32
Education score 2024-0.12158 of 19933 of 46proxy +0.81
Wellbeing score 2010-1.67109 of 11020 of 21high +0.80
Equality score 2022-2.37164 of 16544 of 44high +0.64
Infrastructure score 2024-0.16187 of 21045 of 47proxy +0.90
Gender score 2024+0.21115 of 18624 of 46moderate +0.37
Environment score 2024+1.159 of 2134 of 47moderate -0.33
Labour score 2025-0.43156 of 19531 of 47high +0.79

The last column shows how closely each score just tracks national income. The number is its link with GDP per person (the value of everything a country produces, divided by its people), from −1 to +1. A score marked proxy is mostly a measure of how rich the country is. Its rank among all countries says little that GDP per person does not. That is why the rank among similar-income countries sits beside it.

The measures behind them

Every measure reported for Zambia, grouped by area. Some measures have no agreed better direction, such as population growth, inflation and military spending. They are listed here but left out of every score, since there is no fair way to say which way is better. Some names use technical terms: PPP means adjusted for what money buys in each country, HDI is a United Nations score combining life expectancy, schooling and income, and a Gini indexmeasures how unequally income is shared. Each measure’s own page explains it.

crime

Conflict deaths0per 100,000 people2025higher is worse
Armed conflict present01 if any conflict, else 02025higher is worse
Homicide rate5.2per 100,000 population2015higher is worse

culture

Religious attendance80.9%% of respondents2010no agreed direction
Religion very important75.7%% of respondents2010no agreed direction
Confidence in religious institutions86.3%% of respondents2010no agreed direction
Religiously unaffiliated0.0598%% of population2020no agreed direction
Christian share98.3%% of population2020no agreed direction
Muslim share0.511%% of population2020no agreed direction
Single-parent households9.64%% of households2018no agreed direction
One-person households7.97%% of households2018no agreed direction
Women in a union55.7%% of women aged 15-492018no agreed direction

demography

Median age17.5years2023no agreed direction
Age at childbearing28.4years2023no agreed direction
Population21,913,874people2025no agreed direction
Population growth2.77%% per year2025no agreed direction
Urbanization45.9%% of population2025no agreed direction
Population 65+2%% of population2025no agreed direction
Population 0-1441%% of population2025no agreed direction
Fertility rate4.04births per woman2024no agreed direction
Birth rate32.7per 1,000 people2024no agreed direction
Net migration6,562people2025no agreed direction
Migrant share of population1.2%% of population2024no agreed direction

economy

HDI0.595index, 0 to 12023higher is better
Inequality-adjusted HDI0.361index, 0 to 12023higher is better
GDP per capita (PPP)$3,742international $2025higher is better
GNI per capita (PPP)$3,232international $2021higher is better
GDP per capita (market)$1,356US$2025higher is better
GDP growth3.76%% per year2025no agreed direction
Inflation13.9%% per year2025no agreed direction
Trade openness62.5%% of GDP2024no agreed direction
FDI inflows9.32%% of GDP2024no agreed direction
Tax revenue18.8%% of GDP2024no agreed direction
Government consumption12.7%% of GDP2024no agreed direction
Government expense25.1%% of GDP2021no agreed direction
Military spending1.33%% of GDP2024no agreed direction
Employment in agriculture54.5%% of employment2025no agreed direction

education

Primary completion67.4%% of children2025higher is better
Expected schooling11years2023higher is better
Mean years of schooling7.4years2023higher is better
Education spending4.07%% of GDP2023no agreed direction
Primary enrollment116%% gross2024higher is better
Secondary enrollment56.8%% gross2024higher is better
Tertiary enrollment3.96%% gross2012higher is better
Adult literacy71.8%% of adults2024higher is better
Compulsory schooling7years2025no agreed direction
Out of school, primary3.51%% of primary-age children2024higher is worse
Pupil-teacher ratio42.1pupils per teacher2017higher is worse

environment

CO2 per capita0.543t CO2e per capita2024higher is worse
Forest area59.5%% of land area2023higher is better
Agricultural land32.1%% of land area2023no agreed direction
Protected land41.3%% of land area2025higher is better

gender

Gender Inequality Index0.524index, 0 to 12023higher is worse
Gender Development Index0.949ratio of women's HDI to men's2023no agreed direction
Women's political empowerment0.791index (0-1)2025higher is better
Women ministers16%% of ministers2024higher is better
Women in parliament15%% of seats2025higher is better
Women in management29.6%% of managers2024higher is better
Married by 1823.9%% of women aged 20-242024higher is worse

governance

Corruption Perceptions Index39index (0-100, higher = cleaner)2024higher is better
Political rights (FH)4rating (1-7, 1 = most free)2025higher is worse
Civil liberties (FH)4rating (1-7, 1 = most free)2025higher is worse
Pre-trial detainee share18.1%% of prisoners2024higher is worse
Refugees originating1.58per 100,000 people2024higher is worse
Electoral democracy0.497index (0-1)2025higher is better
Liberal democracy0.375index (0-1)2025higher is better
Participatory democracy0.348index (0-1)2025higher is better
Free and fair elections0.461index (0-1)2025higher is better
Regime type1regime category (0-3)2025higher is better
Political corruption0.428index (0-1)2025higher is worse
Freedom of expression0.778index (0-1)2025higher is better
Freedom of association0.746index (0-1)2025higher is better
Political civil liberties0.797index (0-1)2025higher is better
Civil society participation0.918index (0-1)2025higher is better
Birth registration14%% of children under 52018higher is better
Control of corruption-0.457index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Rule of law-0.561index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Government effectiveness-0.533index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Regulatory quality-0.421index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Voice and accountability-0.408index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Political stability-0.101index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better

health

Life expectancy66.5years2024higher is better
Infant mortality34.6per 1,000 live births2024higher is worse
Under-5 mortality48.4per 1,000 live births2024higher is worse
Health spending5.98%% of GDP2023no agreed direction
Suicide rate7.13per 100,0002021higher is worse
Hospital beds2per 1,000 people2010no agreed direction
Basic water access73.4%% of population2024higher is better
Basic sanitation37.5%% of population2024higher is better
Child stunting32.3%% of children under 52024higher is worse
Adolescent fertility115births per 1,000 women aged 15-192024higher is worse
Maternal mortality85per 100,000 live births2023higher is worse
Skilled birth attendance80.4%% of births2019higher is better
Alcohol consumption3.62litres per adult per year2020no agreed direction
Tobacco use14.3%% of adults2024higher is worse
Road traffic deaths20.5per 100,000 population2019higher is worse
Physicians0.324per 1,000 people2022higher is better
DTP3 immunisation91%% of children aged 12-23 months2024higher is better
HIV prevalence9.4%% of adults aged 15-492024higher is worse
Tuberculosis incidence272per 100,000 people2024higher is worse
Premature NCD mortality23.6%% probability, ages 30-702021higher is worse
Anaemia in women27.1%% of women aged 15-492023higher is worse
Out-of-pocket health spending10.3%% of health spending2023higher is worse
Undernourishment37.2%% of population2023higher is worse
Food insecurity45.3%% of population2023higher is worse
Adult obesity11.6%% of adults2024higher is worse
Health coverage index62index, 0 to 1002023higher is better

inequality

Gini index51.5index (0-100)2022higher is worse
Extreme poverty rate71.7%% of population2022higher is worse

infrastructure

Internet users17.1%% of population2024higher is better
Mobile subscriptions109per 100 people2024higher is better
Electricity access53.6%% of population2024higher is better
Slum share of urban population48.3%% of urban population2022higher is worse
Fixed broadband0.79per 100 people2024higher is better

labor

Informal employment82.7%% of employment2024higher is worse
Unemployment5.92%% of labor force2025higher is worse
Female labor participation56.4%% of women 15+2025no agreed direction
Male labor participation67.6%% of men 15+2025no agreed direction
Youth not in work or study26.7%% of 15 to 24 year olds2024higher is worse
Vulnerable employment70.2%% of employment2025higher is worse

wellbeing

Interpersonal trust10.8%% of respondents2010higher is better
Self-reported happiness52%% of respondents2010higher is better
Life satisfaction4.11score (0-10)2025higher is better

Values are the most recent in 2010–2025, and different measures can come from different years. The year is shown beside each. Nothing here ranks countries by merit. An area score averages whatever measures its publishers happen to collect, and the choice of what to collect is itself a judgement made by someone else. All countries · How the country data works

Countries to compare with Zambia

Also in Sub-Saharan Africa: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Dem. Rep., Congo, Rep., Cote d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, The, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Fed. Rep., South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zimbabwe.

Also lower middle income, in other regions: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Bolivia, Cambodia, Djibouti, Egypt, Arab Rep., Haiti, Honduras, India, Kiribati, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao PDR, Lebanon, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Tunisia, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, RB, West Bank and Gaza.