Number of people living in extreme poverty in Zambia
Zambia: Number of people living in extreme poverty was 5.71 million people in 2022. ▲ Rising
Number of people living in extreme poverty in Zambia, 1991–2022
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2022, number of people living in extreme poverty in Zambia stood at 5.71 million people. That is the highest value across all 10 years on record.
The figure is up 42.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in extreme poverty in Zambia peaked at 5.71 million people in 2022 and was at its lowest, 2.76 million people, in 1993.
That places Zambia 86th out of 120 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 10 years of available data.
Number of people living in extreme poverty in Zambia, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 2.95 million people | — |
| 1993 | 2.76 million people | -6.6% |
| 1996 | 3.96 million people | +43.4% |
| 1998 | 4.11 million people | +4.0% |
| 2002 | 3.50 million people | -14.9% |
| 2004 | 3.60 million people | +3.0% |
| 2006 | 3.46 million people | -3.9% |
| 2010 | 4.00 million people | +15.5% |
| 2015 | 5.27 million people | +31.7% |
| 2022 | 5.71 million people | +8.5% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 5.71 million people is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 14.39 million people, 40% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 5.71 million people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 10.66 million people, 54% of the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.45 million people | 2.76 million people | 4.11 million people | 4 |
| 2000s | 3.52 million people | 3.46 million people | 3.60 million people | 3 |
| 2010s | 4.63 million people | 4.00 million people | 5.27 million people | 2 |
| 2020s | 5.71 million people | 5.71 million people | 5.71 million people | 1 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More poverty & inequality data for Zambia
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 1 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 4.1 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 2,344 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate -4.62 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 16.23 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 16.2% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in extreme poverty in Zambia?
- Number of people living in extreme poverty in Zambia was 5.71 million people in 2022, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of people living in extreme poverty recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 5.71 million people in 2022.
- What is the lowest number of people living in extreme poverty recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.76 million people in 1993.
- How does Zambia rank for number of people living in extreme poverty?
- Zambia ranks 86th out of 120 countries with data for 2022.
- Is number of people living in extreme poverty rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 42.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of people living in extreme poverty. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of people living in households with an income or consumption above $3 per day.