Share of children with symptoms of a respiratory infection who received antibiotics in Zambia
Zambia: Share of children with symptoms of a respiratory infection who received antibiotics was 44.6% in 2018. ▲ Rising
Share of children with symptoms of a respiratory infection who received antibiotics in Zambia, 2000–2018
Source: Browne AJ et al. (2021) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 44.6% for share of children with symptoms of a respiratory infection who received antibiotics in 2018.
That represents a change of down 21.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children with symptoms of a respiratory infection who received antibiotics in Zambia peaked at 56.8% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 35.7%, in 2012.
Zambia ranks 99th of 132 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 19 years of available data.
Share of children with symptoms of a respiratory infection who received antibiotics in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 36.4% | — |
| 2001 | 36.5% | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 36.2% | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 37.6% | +3.9% |
| 2004 | 37.9% | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 38.6% | +1.8% |
| 2006 | 38.4% | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 55.3% | +44.0% |
| 2008 | 56.8% | +2.7% |
| 2009 | 47.2% | -16.9% |
| 2010 | 40.3% | -14.6% |
| 2011 | 39.3% | -2.5% |
| 2012 | 35.7% | -9.2% |
| 2013 | 42.2% | +18.2% |
| 2014 | 42.7% | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 43.2% | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 43.7% | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 44.6% | +2.1% |
| 2018 | 44.6% | +0.0% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 44.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 49.0%, 91% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 44.6% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 41.6%, 1.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of children with symptoms of a respiratory infection who received antibiotics in Zambia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | +44.0% | 38.4% | 55.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 42.1% | 36.2% | 56.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 41.8% | 35.7% | 44.6% | 9 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 97 Solomon Islands 45.4% compare
- 98 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 44.7% compare
- 100 Comoros 44.5% compare
- 101 Turkey 44.2% compare
- 102 Angola 43.2% compare
More reference data data for Zambia
- Exchange rate, new LCU per USD extended backward, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Exchange rate, old LCU per USD extended forward, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Official exchange rate, LCU per USD, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Global number of reported disasters by size, gaps filled 0 events (2025)
- Annual precipitation, annual growth rate 40.84 % change on previous year (2025)
- Free country, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, gaps filled 4 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Consumer price index 483.32 2010 = 100 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of children with symptoms of a respiratory infection who received antibiotics in Zambia?
- Share of children with symptoms of a respiratory infection who received antibiotics in Zambia was 44.6% in 2018, according to Browne AJ et al. (2021) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of children with symptoms of a respiratory infection who received antibiotics recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 56.8% in 2008.
- What is the lowest share of children with symptoms of a respiratory infection who received antibiotics recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 35.7% in 2012.
- How does Zambia rank for share of children with symptoms of a respiratory infection who received antibiotics?
- Zambia ranks 99th out of 132 countries with data for 2018.
- Is share of children with symptoms of a respiratory infection who received antibiotics rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Browne AJ et al. (2021) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children with symptoms of a respiratory infection who received antibiotics. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 19 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Caregiver reported share of children under five years old, with symptoms of lower respiratory tract infection, who received antibiotics for this illness.