Proportion of population below international poverty line in Zambia
Zambia: Proportion of population below international poverty line was 71.7% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Proportion of population below international poverty line in Zambia, 1991–2022
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
In 2022, proportion of population below international poverty line in Zambia stood at 71.7%.
That represents a change of up 0.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of population below international poverty line in Zambia peaked at 72.0% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 56.1%, in 1996.
Zambia ranks 4th of 110 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 10 years of available data.
Proportion of population below international poverty line in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 63.0% | — |
| 1993 | 67.1% | +6.5% |
| 1996 | 56.1% | -16.4% |
| 1998 | 56.6% | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 68.0% | +20.1% |
| 2004 | 68.9% | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 72.0% | +4.5% |
| 2010 | 71.4% | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 67.9% | -4.9% |
| 2022 | 71.7% | +5.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 60.7% | 56.1% | 67.1% | 4 |
| 2000s | 69.6% | 68.0% | 72.0% | 3 |
| 2010s | 69.7% | 67.9% | 71.4% | 2 |
| 2020s | 71.7% | 71.7% | 71.7% | 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 proportion of population below international poverty line in Zambia?
- Proportion of population below international poverty line in Zambia was 71.7% in 2022, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of population below international poverty line recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 72.0% in 2006.
- What is the lowest proportion of population below international poverty line recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 56.1% in 1996.
- How does Zambia rank for proportion of population below international poverty line?
- Zambia ranks 4th out of 110 countries with data for 2022.
- Is proportion of population below international poverty line rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of population below international poverty line (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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