Distribution of population between different poverty lines in Zambia
Zambia: Distribution of population between different poverty lines was 14.44 million people in 2022. ▲ Rising
Distribution of population between different poverty lines 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, distribution of population between different poverty lines in Zambia stood at 14.44 million people. That is the highest value across all 10 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 44.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, distribution of population between different poverty lines in Zambia peaked at 14.44 million people in 2022 and was at its lowest, 5.03 million people, in 1991.
Zambia ranks 12th of 120 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 10 years of available data.
Distribution of population between different poverty lines in Zambia, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 5.03 million people | — |
| 1993 | 5.62 million people | +11.7% |
| 1996 | 5.05 million people | -10.1% |
| 1998 | 5.37 million people | +6.4% |
| 2002 | 7.43 million people | +38.3% |
| 2004 | 7.99 million people | +7.6% |
| 2006 | 8.89 million people | +11.2% |
| 2010 | 9.97 million people | +12.2% |
| 2015 | 11.13 million people | +11.7% |
| 2022 | 14.44 million people | +29.7% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 14.44 million people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.70 million people, 8.5× the median. (29 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 14.44 million people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 9.40 million people, 1.5× the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5.26 million people | 5.03 million people | 5.62 million people | 4 |
| 2000s | 8.10 million people | 7.43 million people | 8.89 million people | 3 |
| 2010s | 10.55 million people | 9.97 million people | 11.13 million people | 2 |
| 2020s | 14.44 million people | 14.44 million people | 14.44 million people | 1 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 9 Madagascar 20.93 million people compare
- 10 Niger 15.07 million people compare
- 11 Malawi 14.47 million people compare
- 13 Philippines 13.25 million people compare
- 14 Ghana 11.65 million people compare
- 15 South Africa 11.00 million people compare
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 distribution of population between different poverty lines in Zambia?
- Distribution of population between different poverty lines in Zambia was 14.44 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 distribution of population between different poverty lines recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 14.44 million people in 2022.
- What is the lowest distribution of population between different poverty lines recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.03 million people in 1991.
- How does Zambia rank for distribution of population between different poverty lines?
- Zambia ranks 12th out of 120 countries with data for 2022.
- Is distribution of population between different poverty lines rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 44.9%. 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 Distribution of population between different poverty lines. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of people living in households with an income or consumption below $3 per day.