Share of population living in extreme poverty (2011 prices) in Zambia
Zambia: Share of population living in extreme poverty (2011 prices) was 61.6% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Share of population living in extreme poverty (2011 prices) in Zambia, 1991–2022
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 61.6% for share of population living in extreme poverty (2011 prices) in 2022.
The figure is up 0.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in extreme poverty (2011 prices) in Zambia peaked at 62.1% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 43.6%, in 1996.
Zambia ranks 5th of 119 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 10 years of available data.
Share of population living in extreme poverty (2011 prices) in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 55.2% | — |
| 1993 | 56.2% | +1.8% |
| 1996 | 43.6% | -22.3% |
| 1998 | 43.8% | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 52.1% | +18.7% |
| 2004 | 58.4% | +12.1% |
| 2006 | 62.1% | +6.5% |
| 2010 | 61.4% | -1.2% |
| 2015 | 58.4% | -4.9% |
| 2022 | 61.6% | +5.4% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 61.6% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6.7%, 9.2× the median. (29 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 61.6% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 28.3%, 2.2× the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 49.7% | 43.6% | 56.2% | 4 |
| 2000s | 57.5% | 52.1% | 62.1% | 3 |
| 2010s | 59.9% | 58.4% | 61.4% | 2 |
| 2020s | 61.6% | 61.6% | 61.6% | 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 share of population living in extreme poverty (2011 prices) in Zambia?
- Share of population living in extreme poverty (2011 prices) in Zambia was 61.6% in 2022, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in extreme poverty (2011 prices) recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 62.1% in 2006.
- What is the lowest share of population living in extreme poverty (2011 prices) recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 43.6% in 1996.
- How does Zambia rank for share of population living in extreme poverty (2011 prices)?
- Zambia ranks 5th out of 119 countries with data for 2022.
- Is share of population living in extreme poverty (2011 prices) rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.3%. 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 (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in extreme poverty (2011 prices). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below $1.90 per day.