Civil liberties rating in Zambia
Zambia: Civil liberties rating was 4 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
4
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
69th
of 199 countries
All-time high
6
in 1980
All-time low
3
in 1991
Years of data
53
1972–2025
Civil liberties rating in Zambia, 1972–2025
Source: Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 4 for civil liberties rating in 2025.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, civil liberties rating in Zambia peaked at 6 in 1980 and was at its lowest, 3, in 1991.
Zambia ranks 69th of 199 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 53 years of available data.
Civil liberties rating in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 5 | — |
| 1973 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 4 | -20.0% |
| 1975 | 5 | +25.0% |
| 1976 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 6 | +20.0% |
| 1982 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 5 | -16.7% |
| 1985 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 3 | -40.0% |
| 1992 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 4 | +33.3% |
| 1994 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 3 | -25.0% |
| 2009 | 4 | +33.3% |
| 2010 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 4 | +0.0% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 4 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5, 80% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 4 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5, 80% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.88 | 4 | 5 | 8 |
| 1980s | 5.33 | 5 | 6 | 9 |
| 1990s | 3.9 | 3 | 5 | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.9 | 3 | 4 | 10 |
| 2010s | 4 | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| 2020s | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 69 Armenia 4 compare
- 69 Bangladesh 4 compare
- 69 Cote d'Ivoire 4 compare
- 69 El Salvador 4 compare
- 69 Gambia 4 compare
- 69 Georgia 4 compare
- 69 Guatemala 4 compare
- 69 Guinea-Bissau 4 compare
- 69 Honduras 4 compare
- 69 Hong Kong 4 compare
- 69 India 4 compare
- 69 Indonesia 4 compare
- 69 Kenya 4 compare
- 69 Lebanon 4 compare
- 69 Liberia 4 compare
- 69 Madagascar 4 compare
- 69 Malaysia 4 compare
- 69 Mexico 4 compare
- 69 Mozambique 4 compare
- 69 Nepal 4 compare
- 69 Philippines 4 compare
- 69 Singapore 4 compare
- 69 Sri Lanka 4 compare
- 69 Togo 4 compare
- 69 Tunisia 4 compare
- 69 USSR 4 compare
- 69 Ukraine 4 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)
- Political opposition, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament and government, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is civil liberties rating in Zambia?
- Civil liberties rating in Zambia was 4 in 2025, according to Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest civil liberties rating recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 6 in 1980.
- What is the lowest civil liberties rating recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 3 in 1991.
- How does Zambia rank for civil liberties rating?
- Zambia ranks 69th out of 199 countries with data for 2025.
- Is civil liberties rating rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Civil liberties rating. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Identifies the extent of freedom of expression and association, the rule of law, and personal autonomy. Lower ratings indicate more liberties.