Sub-Saharan Africa vs Zambia: Proportion of population below international poverty line

Sub-Saharan Africa
45.2%
in 2024
Zambia
71.7%
in 2022
Sub-Saharan Africa rank
3rd
Zambia rank
4th

Proportion of population below international poverty line over time

  • Sub-Saharan Africa
  • Zambia
020406080199020072024

How they compare

Zambia currently reports 71.7% against 45.2% in Sub-Saharan Africa, a difference of 26.5%.

That makes Zambia's figure about 1.6 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 3rd and Zambia ranks 4th of 42 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 65.3% 60.7% 4.6% Sub-Saharan Africa
2000s 59.1% 69.6% 10.5% Zambia
2010s 48.8% 69.7% 20.8% Zambia
2020s 46.8% 71.7% 24.9% Zambia

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher proportion of population below international poverty line, Sub-Saharan Africa or Zambia?
Zambia, at 71.7% against 45.2% in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2022.
What is the difference in proportion of population below international poverty line between Sub-Saharan Africa and Zambia?
26.5%, 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 proportion of population below international poverty line?
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 3rd and Zambia ranks 4th of 42 groups.
Where does this data come from?
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as Proportion of population below international poverty line (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Sub-Saharan Africa vs Zambia: Proportion of population below international poverty line. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 12 September 2026, from https://poverty.statizoid.com/compare/proportion-of-population-below-international-poverty-line-percent/sub-saharan-africa/zambia/

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About this data

Indicator
Proportion of population below international poverty line (%)
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
174 places, 4,024 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed