Civil Liberties Score in Zambia
Zambia: Civil Liberties Score was 31 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Civil Liberties Score in Zambia, 2003–2025
Source: Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for civil liberties score in Zambia is 31, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 8.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, civil liberties score in Zambia peaked at 35 in 2008 and was at its lowest, 30, in 2021.
That places Zambia 112th out of 197 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.
Civil Liberties Score in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 33 | — |
| 2004 | 34 | +3.0% |
| 2005 | 34 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 34 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 34 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 35 | +2.9% |
| 2009 | 34 | -2.9% |
| 2010 | 33 | -2.9% |
| 2011 | 34 | +3.0% |
| 2012 | 34 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 34 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 34 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 34 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 33 | -2.9% |
| 2017 | 33 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 32 | -3.0% |
| 2019 | 32 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 32 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 30 | -6.2% |
| 2022 | 31 | +3.3% |
| 2023 | 31 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 31 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 31 | +0.0% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 31 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 25.5, 1.2× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 31 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 24, 1.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 34 | 33 | 35 | 7 |
| 2010s | 33.3 | 32 | 34 | 10 |
| 2020s | 31 | 30 | 32 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
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 civil liberties score in Zambia?
- Civil liberties score in Zambia was 31 in 2025, according to Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest civil liberties score recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 35 in 2008.
- What is the lowest civil liberties score recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 30 in 2021.
- How does Zambia rank for civil liberties score?
- Zambia ranks 112th out of 197 countries with data for 2025.
- Is civil liberties score rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.8%. 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 Score. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The variable identifies the fine-grained extent of freedom of expression and association, the rule of law, and personal autonomy. Higher scores indicate more liberties.