Income share of the richest 10% vs. Gini coefficient (before tax) in Zambia
Zambia: Income share of the richest 10% vs. Gini coefficient (before tax) was 56.2% in 2022. ▬ Flat
Latest (2022)
56.2%
World rank
12th
of 113 countries
All-time high
62.6%
in 1963
All-time low
52.0%
in 2002
Years of data
38
1929–2022
Income share of the richest 10% vs. Gini coefficient (before tax) in Zambia, 1929–2022
Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2022, income share of the richest 10% vs. gini coefficient (before tax) in Zambia stood at 56.2%.
That represents a change of down 3.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, income share of the richest 10% vs. gini coefficient (before tax) in Zambia peaked at 62.6% in 1963 and was at its lowest, 52.0%, in 2002.
Zambia ranks 12th of 113 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Income share of the richest 10% vs. Gini coefficient (before tax) in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1929 | 55.9% | — |
| 1930 | 57.0% | +2.0% |
| 1931 | 57.2% | +0.2% |
| 1932 | 57.1% | -0.1% |
| 1933 | 56.2% | -1.6% |
| 1934 | 56.6% | +0.7% |
| 1935 | 57.1% | +0.9% |
| 1936 | 56.4% | -1.3% |
| 1937 | 56.6% | +0.4% |
| 1943 | 58.4% | +3.3% |
| 1944 | 58.4% | +0.0% |
| 1945 | 58.1% | -0.6% |
| 1946 | 59.1% | +1.7% |
| 1947 | 58.8% | -0.5% |
| 1948 | 58.4% | -0.7% |
| 1949 | 58.3% | -0.0% |
| 1950 | 58.1% | -0.4% |
| 1951 | 58.2% | +0.1% |
| 1952 | 59.2% | +1.7% |
| 1953 | 59.0% | -0.2% |
| 1954 | 59.8% | +1.3% |
| 1955 | 60.7% | +1.4% |
| 1956 | 60.7% | +0.0% |
| 1957 | 61.6% | +1.5% |
| 1958 | 62.3% | +1.1% |
| 1963 | 62.6% | +0.5% |
| 1968 | 62.0% | -1.1% |
| 1970 | 61.0% | -1.6% |
| 1991 | 58.8% | -3.5% |
| 1993 | 56.0% | -4.8% |
| 1996 | 55.0% | -1.8% |
| 1998 | 56.0% | +1.8% |
| 2002 | 52.0% | -7.1% |
| 2004 | 60.5% | +16.3% |
| 2006 | 60.7% | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 58.5% | -3.6% |
| 2015 | 60.8% | +3.9% |
| 2022 | 56.2% | -7.6% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 56.2% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 47.1%, 1.2× the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 56.2% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 47.4%, 1.2× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 55.9% | 55.9% | 55.9% | 1 |
| 1930s | 56.8% | 56.2% | 57.2% | 8 |
| 1940s | 58.5% | 58.1% | 59.1% | 7 |
| 1950s | 60.0% | 58.1% | 62.3% | 9 |
| 1960s | 62.3% | 62.0% | 62.6% | 2 |
| 1970s | 61.0% | 61.0% | 61.0% | 1 |
| 1990s | 56.5% | 55.0% | 58.8% | 4 |
| 2000s | 57.7% | 52.0% | 60.7% | 3 |
| 2010s | 59.7% | 58.5% | 60.8% | 2 |
| 2020s | 56.2% | 56.2% | 56.2% | 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 income share of the richest 10% vs. gini coefficient (before tax) in Zambia?
- Income share of the richest 10% vs. gini coefficient (before tax) in Zambia was 56.2% in 2022, according to World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest income share of the richest 10% vs. gini coefficient (before tax) recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 62.6% in 1963.
- What is the lowest income share of the richest 10% vs. gini coefficient (before tax) recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 52.0% in 2002.
- How does Zambia rank for income share of the richest 10% vs. gini coefficient (before tax)?
- Zambia ranks 12th out of 113 countries with data for 2022.
- Is income share of the richest 10% vs. gini coefficient (before tax) rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- 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 Income share of the richest 10% vs. Gini coefficient (before tax). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of income received by the richest 10% of the population. Income here is measured before taxes and benefits.