Sub-Saharan Africa vs Zambia: Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line

Sub-Saharan Africa
48.3%
in 2024
Zambia
71.7%
in 2022
Sub-Saharan Africa rank
2nd
Zambia rank
4th

Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line over time

  • Sub-Saharan Africa
  • Zambia
020406080199020072024

How they compare

Zambia currently reports 71.7% against 48.3% in Sub-Saharan Africa, a difference of 23.4%.

That makes Zambia's figure about 1.5 times Sub-Saharan Africa's.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 10 shared years of data; in 1991 it was Sub-Saharan Africa ahead.

Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 2nd and Zambia ranks 4th of 14 groups.

Across the 4 decades both report, Sub-Saharan Africa averaged higher in 1 and Zambia in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade Sub-Saharan Africa Zambia Difference Ahead
1990s 65.0% 60.7% 4.2% Sub-Saharan Africa
2000s 58.7% 69.6% 11.0% Zambia
2010s 50.5% 69.7% 19.2% Zambia
2020s 48.9% 71.7% 22.8% Zambia

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line, Sub-Saharan Africa or Zambia?
Zambia, at 71.7% against 48.3% in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2022.
What is the difference in poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line between Sub-Saharan Africa and Zambia?
23.4%, with Zambia ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Sub-Saharan Africa and Zambia?
10 years are reported by both, from 1991 to 2022.
How do Sub-Saharan Africa and Zambia rank globally for poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line?
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 2nd and Zambia ranks 4th of 14 groups.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ, published as Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line (% of population). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Sub-Saharan Africa vs Zambia: Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line. Statizoid, drawing on World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://poverty.statizoid.com/compare/poverty-headcount-ratio-at-societal-poverty-line-percent-of-population/sub-saharan-africa/zambia/

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About this data

Indicator
Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line (% of population)
Unit
% of population
Source
World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
137 places, 2,860 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed

The poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line is the percentage of a population living in poverty according to the World Bank's Societal Poverty Line. The Societal Poverty Line is expressed in purchasing power adjusted 2021 U.S. dollars and defined as max($3.00, $1.30 + 0.5*Median). This means that when the national median is sufficiently low, the Societal Poverty line is equivalent to the extreme poverty line, $3.00. For countries with a sufficiently high national median, the Societal Poverty Line grows as countries’ median income grows.