Share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days in Zambia

Zambia: Share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days was 63.8% in 2020. ▬ Flat

Latest (2020)
63.8%
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
10th
of 187 countries
All-time high
64.8%
in 2000
All-time low
63.1%
in 2007
Years of data
21
2000–2020

Share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days in Zambia, 2000–2020

02040602000201020202000: 64.8 %2001: 64.7 %2002: 64.4 %2003: 64.3 %2004: 64.3 %2005: 63.8 %2006: 64.3 %2007: 63.1 %2008: 63.3 %2009: 63.7 %2010: 63.8 %2011: 63.5 %2012: 63.6 %2013: 63.9 %2014: 64.2 %2015: 64 %2016: 64 %2017: 64.2 %2018: 64.2 %2019: 64 %2020: 63.8 %

Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Zambia recorded 63.8% for share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days in 2020.

That represents a change of down 0.4% on the previous year and down 0.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days in Zambia peaked at 64.8% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 63.1%, in 2007.

Zambia ranks 10th of 187 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 64.1% 63.1% 64.8% 10
2010s 64.0% 63.5% 64.2% 10
2020s 63.8% 63.8% 63.8% 1

Countries ranked near Zambia

  1. 7 Cape Verde 68.7% compare
  2. 8 Sao Tome and Principe 68.6% compare
  3. 9 Cook Islands 64.2% compare
  4. 11 Niue 63.0% compare
  5. 12 Nauru 62.0% compare
  6. 13 Vanuatu 60.9% compare

See the full ranking of 187 places →

More reference data data for Zambia

All data for Zambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days in Zambia?
Share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days in Zambia was 63.8% in 2020, according to World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days recorded in Zambia?
The highest recorded value was 64.8% in 2000.
What is the lowest share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was 63.1% in 2007.
How does Zambia rank for share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days?
Zambia ranks 10th out of 187 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days rising or falling in Zambia?
Over the last ten years it is down 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Zambia data come from?
The figures come from World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days
Unit
%
Source
World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
187 places, 3,927 data points, 2000–2020
Last refreshed

Heavy episodic drinking (drinkers only) is defined as the proportion of adult drinkers (15+ years) who have had at least 60 grams or more of pure alcohol on at least one occasion in the past 30 days. A consumption of 60 grams of pure alcohol corresponds approximately to 6 standard alcoholic drinks.