Free and fair elections index in Zambia
Zambia: Free and fair elections index was 0.461 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
0.461
Change on year
down 2.1%
World rank
98th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.512
in 2013
All-time low
0
in 1911
Years of data
115
1911–2025
Free and fair elections index in Zambia, 1911–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for free and fair elections index in Zambia is 0.461, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 2.1% on the previous year and down 1.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, free and fair elections index in Zambia peaked at 0.512 in 2013 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1911.
Zambia ranks 98th of 176 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Free and fair elections index in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1911 | 0 | — |
| 1912 | 0 | — |
| 1913 | 0 | — |
| 1914 | 0 | — |
| 1915 | 0 | — |
| 1916 | 0 | — |
| 1917 | 0 | — |
| 1918 | 0 | — |
| 1919 | 0 | — |
| 1920 | 0 | — |
| 1921 | 0 | — |
| 1922 | 0 | — |
| 1923 | 0 | — |
| 1924 | 0 | — |
| 1925 | 0 | — |
| 1926 | 0.16 | — |
| 1927 | 0.16 | +0.0% |
| 1928 | 0.16 | +0.0% |
| 1929 | 0.169 | +5.6% |
| 1930 | 0.185 | +9.5% |
| 1931 | 0.185 | +0.0% |
| 1932 | 0.187 | +1.1% |
| 1933 | 0.19 | +1.6% |
| 1934 | 0.19 | +0.0% |
| 1935 | 0.176 | -7.4% |
| 1936 | 0.176 | +0.0% |
| 1937 | 0.176 | +0.0% |
| 1938 | 0.159 | -9.7% |
| 1939 | 0.159 | +0.0% |
| 1940 | 0.159 | +0.0% |
| 1941 | 0.2 | +25.8% |
| 1942 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 1943 | 0.2 | +0.0% |
| 1944 | 0.16 | -20.0% |
| 1945 | 0.16 | +0.0% |
| 1946 | 0.16 | +0.0% |
| 1947 | 0.16 | +0.0% |
| 1948 | 0.164 | +2.5% |
| 1949 | 0.164 | +0.0% |
| 1950 | 0.164 | +0.0% |
| 1951 | 0.183 | +11.6% |
| 1952 | 0.183 | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 0.183 | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 0.184 | +0.5% |
| 1955 | 0.184 | +0.0% |
| 1956 | 0.184 | +0.0% |
| 1957 | 0.184 | +0.0% |
| 1958 | 0.184 | +0.0% |
| 1959 | 0.185 | +0.5% |
| 1960 | 0.185 | +0.0% |
| 1961 | 0.185 | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 0.187 | +1.1% |
| 1963 | 0.199 | +6.4% |
| 1964 | 0.273 | +37.2% |
| 1965 | 0.292 | +7.0% |
| 1966 | 0.292 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 0.292 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 0.289 | -1.0% |
| 1969 | 0.206 | -28.7% |
| 1970 | 0.206 | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 0.206 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 0.206 | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 0.211 | +2.4% |
| 1974 | 0.26 | +23.2% |
| 1975 | 0.26 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 0.26 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 0.26 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 0.261 | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 0.265 | +1.5% |
| 1980 | 0.265 | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 0.265 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 0.265 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 0.262 | -1.1% |
| 1984 | 0.251 | -4.2% |
| 1985 | 0.251 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 0.251 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 0.251 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 0.252 | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 0.257 | +2.0% |
| 1990 | 0.334 | +30.0% |
| 1991 | 0.359 | +7.5% |
| 1992 | 0.426 | +18.7% |
| 1993 | 0.426 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 0.459 | +7.7% |
| 1995 | 0.459 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 0.466 | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 0.444 | -4.7% |
| 1998 | 0.444 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 0.444 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 0.444 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 0.444 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.438 | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 0.438 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.438 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.446 | +1.8% |
| 2006 | 0.45 | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 0.463 | +2.9% |
| 2008 | 0.483 | +4.3% |
| 2009 | 0.497 | +2.9% |
| 2010 | 0.5 | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 0.503 | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 0.502 | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 0.512 | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 0.512 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 0.47 | -8.2% |
| 2016 | 0.373 | -20.6% |
| 2017 | 0.275 | -26.3% |
| 2018 | 0.27 | -1.8% |
| 2019 | 0.26 | -3.7% |
| 2020 | 0.242 | -6.9% |
| 2021 | 0.361 | +49.2% |
| 2022 | 0.449 | +24.4% |
| 2023 | 0.44 | -2.0% |
| 2024 | 0.471 | +7.0% |
| 2025 | 0.461 | -2.1% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 0.461 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.321, 1.4× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 0.461 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.2905, 1.6× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Free and fair elections index 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | +49.2% | 0.242 | 0.361 |
| 1964 | +37.2% | 0.199 | 0.273 |
| 1990 | +30.0% | 0.257 | 0.334 |
| 1969 | -28.7% | 0.289 | 0.206 |
| 2017 | -26.3% | 0.373 | 0.275 |
| 1941 | +25.8% | 0.159 | 0.2 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| 1920s | 0.0649 | 0 | 0.169 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.1783 | 0.159 | 0.19 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.1727 | 0.159 | 0.2 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.1818 | 0.164 | 0.185 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.24 | 0.185 | 0.292 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.2395 | 0.206 | 0.265 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.257 | 0.251 | 0.265 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.4261 | 0.334 | 0.466 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.4541 | 0.438 | 0.497 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.4177 | 0.26 | 0.512 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.404 | 0.242 | 0.471 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More reference data data for Zambia
- Spring temperature anomalies -0.0386 (2026)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.0941 (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies -0.018 (2026)
- Country level monthly temperature anomalies 0.3261 (2026)
- 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)
- Urban area long term, annual growth rate 3.69 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban area long term, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban area long term, per capita 0.0001 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is free and fair elections index in Zambia?
- Free and fair elections index in Zambia was 0.461 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest free and fair elections index recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 0.512 in 2013.
- What is the lowest free and fair elections index recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1911.
- How does Zambia rank for free and fair elections index?
- Zambia ranks 98th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
- Is free and fair elections index rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Free and fair elections index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 115 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).