Human development index in Zambia
Zambia: Human development index was 0.443 HDI in 2011. ▲ Rising
Human development index in Zambia, 1980–2011
Source: http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/data/. Measured in HDI.
Analysis
The most recent figure for human development index in Zambia is 0.443 HDI, measured in 2011. That is the highest value across all 10 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.1% on the previous year and up 17.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, human development index in Zambia peaked at 0.443 HDI in 2011 and was at its lowest, 0.376 HDI, in 2000.
Zambia ranks 28th of 50 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 10 years of available data.
Human development index in Zambia, year by year
| Year | HDI | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 0.405 HDI | — |
| 1990 | 0.398 HDI | -1.7% |
| 2000 | 0.376 HDI | -5.5% |
| 2005 | 0.399 HDI | +6.1% |
| 2006 | 0.405 HDI | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 0.411 HDI | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 0.42 HDI | +2.2% |
| 2009 | 0.431 HDI | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 0.438 HDI | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 0.443 HDI | +1.1% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 0.443 HDI is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.4705 HDI, 94% of the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 0.443 HDI is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.4485 HDI, 99% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.405 HDI | 0.405 HDI | 0.405 HDI | 1 |
| 1990s | 0.398 HDI | 0.398 HDI | 0.398 HDI | 1 |
| 2000s | 0.407 HDI | 0.376 HDI | 0.431 HDI | 6 |
| 2010s | 0.4405 HDI | 0.438 HDI | 0.443 HDI | 2 |
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)
- 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 human development index in Zambia?
- Human development index in Zambia was 0.443 HDI in 2011, according to http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/data/.
- What is the highest human development index recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 0.443 HDI in 2011.
- What is the lowest human development index recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.376 HDI in 2000.
- How does Zambia rank for human development index?
- Zambia ranks 28th out of 50 countries with data for 2011.
- Is human development index rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/data/, published as part of Human development index (HDI). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure of human development. It measures the average achievements in a country in three basic dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, access to knowledge and a decent standard of living. The HDI is the geometric mean of normalized indices measuring achievements in each dimension. The HDI is the geometric mean of the three dimension indices and embodies imperfect substitutability across all HDI dimensions. It thus addresses one of the most serious criticisms of the linear aggregation formula, which allowed for perfect substitution across dimensions. Some substitutability is inherent in the definition of any index that increases with the values of its components. Data sources: Life expectancy at birth: UNDESA; Mean years of schooling: Barro and Lee; Expected years of schooling: UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Gross national income (GNI) per capita: World Bank.