Gini coefficient (before tax) in Zambia
Zambia: Gini coefficient (before tax) was 0.6769 in 2022. ▲ Rising
Gini coefficient (before tax) in Zambia, 1929–2022
Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for gini coefficient (before tax) in Zambia is 0.6769, measured in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gini coefficient (before tax) in Zambia peaked at 0.7207 in 1991 and was at its lowest, 0.6208, in 2002.
That places Zambia 11th out of 113 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 38 years of available data.
Gini coefficient (before tax) in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1929 | 0.631 | — |
| 1930 | 0.6402 | +1.5% |
| 1931 | 0.6413 | +0.2% |
| 1932 | 0.6408 | -0.1% |
| 1933 | 0.6328 | -1.2% |
| 1934 | 0.6363 | +0.6% |
| 1935 | 0.6406 | +0.7% |
| 1936 | 0.6345 | -1.0% |
| 1937 | 0.6364 | +0.3% |
| 1943 | 0.6516 | +2.4% |
| 1944 | 0.6515 | -0.0% |
| 1945 | 0.6482 | -0.5% |
| 1946 | 0.6566 | +1.3% |
| 1947 | 0.6537 | -0.4% |
| 1948 | 0.6503 | -0.5% |
| 1949 | 0.6499 | -0.1% |
| 1950 | 0.6478 | -0.3% |
| 1951 | 0.6478 | +0.0% |
| 1952 | 0.6554 | +1.2% |
| 1953 | 0.6534 | -0.3% |
| 1954 | 0.6591 | +0.9% |
| 1955 | 0.6657 | +1.0% |
| 1956 | 0.6649 | -0.1% |
| 1957 | 0.6722 | +1.1% |
| 1958 | 0.6775 | +0.8% |
| 1963 | 0.6896 | +1.8% |
| 1968 | 0.7015 | +1.7% |
| 1970 | 0.7003 | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 0.7207 | +2.9% |
| 1993 | 0.677 | -6.1% |
| 1996 | 0.6587 | -2.7% |
| 1998 | 0.6662 | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 0.6208 | -6.8% |
| 2004 | 0.7066 | +13.8% |
| 2006 | 0.7078 | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 0.6879 | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 0.7133 | +3.7% |
| 2022 | 0.6769 | -5.1% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 0.6769 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.5789, 1.2× the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 0.6769 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.5771, 1.2× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 0.631 | 0.631 | 0.631 | 1 |
| 1930s | 0.6379 | 0.6328 | 0.6413 | 8 |
| 1940s | 0.6517 | 0.6482 | 0.6566 | 7 |
| 1950s | 0.6604 | 0.6478 | 0.6775 | 9 |
| 1960s | 0.6956 | 0.6896 | 0.7015 | 2 |
| 1970s | 0.7003 | 0.7003 | 0.7003 | 1 |
| 1990s | 0.6806 | 0.6587 | 0.7207 | 4 |
| 2000s | 0.6784 | 0.6208 | 0.7078 | 3 |
| 2010s | 0.7006 | 0.6879 | 0.7133 | 2 |
| 2020s | 0.6769 | 0.6769 | 0.6769 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 8 Peru 0.6966 compare
- 9 Zimbabwe 0.6851 compare
- 10 Mozambique 0.6809 compare
- 12 Costa Rica 0.6535 compare
- 13 Thailand 0.6429 compare
- 14 Saudi Arabia 0.6428 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 gini coefficient (before tax) in Zambia?
- Gini coefficient (before tax) in Zambia was 0.6769 in 2022, according to World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest gini coefficient (before tax) recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 0.7207 in 1991.
- What is the lowest gini coefficient (before tax) recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.6208 in 2002.
- How does Zambia rank for gini coefficient (before tax)?
- Zambia ranks 11th out of 113 countries with data for 2022.
- Is gini coefficient (before tax) rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Gini coefficient (before tax). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
The Gini coefficient measures inequality on a scale from 0 to 1. Higher values indicate higher inequality. Inequality is measured here in terms of income before taxes and benefits.