Government Effectiveness - Governance estimate (approx. -2.5 to +2.5) in Zambia
Zambia: Government Effectiveness - Governance estimate (approx. -2.5 to +2.5) was -0.3897 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Government Effectiveness - Governance estimate in Zambia, 1996–2025
Source: The Worldwide Governance Indicators: Revised Methodology for Measuring Governance Using Perception Data., World Bank Group (WBG). Measured in approx. -2.5 to +2.5.
Analysis
The most recent figure for government effectiveness - governance estimate in Zambia is -0.3897 approx. -2.5 to +2.5, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of up 9.9% on the previous year and up 10.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government effectiveness - governance estimate in Zambia peaked at -0.3618 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 in 2014 and was at its lowest, -1.5 approx. -2.5 to +2.5, in 2000.
That places Zambia 137th out of 206 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Government Effectiveness - Governance estimate (approx. -2.5 to +2.5) in Zambia, year by year
| Year | approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | -1.49 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | — |
| 1998 | -1.5 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +0.4% |
| 2000 | -1.5 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | -1.21 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -18.9% |
| 2003 | -1.25 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +2.9% |
| 2004 | -1.05 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -15.9% |
| 2005 | -0.9458 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -10.0% |
| 2006 | -0.9822 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +3.9% |
| 2007 | -0.9174 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -6.6% |
| 2008 | -0.6448 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -29.7% |
| 2009 | -0.5676 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -12.0% |
| 2010 | -0.5627 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -0.9% |
| 2011 | -0.4415 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -21.5% |
| 2012 | -0.4174 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -5.5% |
| 2013 | -0.4624 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +10.8% |
| 2014 | -0.3618 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -21.7% |
| 2015 | -0.4367 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +20.7% |
| 2016 | -0.4342 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -0.6% |
| 2017 | -0.3839 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -11.6% |
| 2018 | -0.4386 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +14.3% |
| 2019 | -0.5902 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +34.6% |
| 2020 | -0.7557 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | +28.0% |
| 2021 | -0.7415 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -1.9% |
| 2022 | -0.6019 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -18.8% |
| 2023 | -0.5736 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -4.7% |
| 2024 | -0.4324 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -24.6% |
| 2025 | -0.3897 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -9.9% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's -0.3897 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is -0.6398 approx. -2.5 to +2.5, 61% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zambia's -0.3897 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is -0.793 approx. -2.5 to +2.5, 49% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | -1.49 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -1.5 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -1.49 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | 2 |
| 2000s | -1.01 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -1.5 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -0.5676 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | 9 |
| 2010s | -0.4529 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -0.5902 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -0.3618 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.5825 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -0.7557 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | -0.3897 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 134 Uganda -0.3112 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 compare
- 135 Marshall Islands -0.3531 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 compare
- 136 Kiribati -0.3649 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 compare
- 138 Cuba -0.3992 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 compare
- 139 Cambodia -0.4006 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 compare
- 140 Puerto Rico -0.4244 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 compare
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 government effectiveness - governance estimate in Zambia?
- Government effectiveness - governance estimate in Zambia was -0.3897 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 in 2025, according to The Worldwide Governance Indicators: Revised Methodology for Measuring Governance Using Perception Data., World Bank Group (WBG).
- What is the highest government effectiveness - governance estimate recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was -0.3618 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 in 2014.
- What is the lowest government effectiveness - governance estimate recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.5 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 in 2000.
- How does Zambia rank for government effectiveness - governance estimate?
- Zambia ranks 137th out of 206 countries with data for 2025.
- Is government effectiveness - governance estimate rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from The Worldwide Governance Indicators: Revised Methodology for Measuring Governance Using Perception Data., World Bank Group (WBG), published as part of Government Effectiveness - Governance estimate (approx. -2.5 to +2.5). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Government Effectiveness (GE) captures perceptions of the quality of public services, the civil service, policy formulation and implementation, and the credibility of a government’s decisions. Governance estimate from the aggregation model, in units of a standard normal distribution, i.e. ranging from approximately -2.5 to 2.5. Larger values correspond to better governance. The (country-series-time) metadata include the (a) number of sources, and (b) standard error. The number of sources indicates the number of underlying data sources on which the governance estimate is based. The standard error indicates the precision of the governance estimate. Larger values indicate less precise estimates. A 90% confidence interval for the governance estimate is given by the estimate +/- 1.64 times the standard error.