Income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Zambia

Zambia: Income share of the richest 1% (before tax) was 18.0% in 2022. ▬ Flat

Latest (2022)
18.0%
World rank
32nd
of 113 countries
All-time high
23.1%
in 2004
All-time low
16.7%
in 1993
Years of data
38
1929–2022

Income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Zambia, 1929–2022

05101520251929197520221929: 18.5 %1930: 20.3 %1931: 20.5 %1932: 20.4 %1933: 18.6 %1934: 19.3 %1935: 20.2 %1936: 18.9 %1937: 19.2 %1943: 22 %1944: 21.8 %1945: 20.9 %1946: 22.6 %1947: 21.8 %1948: 20.9 %1949: 20.6 %1950: 20 %1951: 19.3 %1952: 20.3 %1953: 19.2 %1954: 19.8 %1955: 20.6 %1956: 19.7 %1957: 20.7 %1958: 21.2 %1963: 21.1 %1968: 21.4 %1970: 20 %1991: 18.9 %1993: 16.7 %1996: 19 %1998: 20.1 %2002: 19.6 %2004: 23.1 %2006: 21.6 %2010: 19 %2015: 22.2 %2022: 18 %

Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2022, income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Zambia stood at 18.0%.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Zambia peaked at 23.1% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 16.7%, in 1993.

That places Zambia 32nd out of 113 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1920s 18.5% 18.5% 18.5% 1
1930s 19.7% 18.6% 20.5% 8
1940s 21.5% 20.6% 22.6% 7
1950s 20.1% 19.2% 21.2% 9
1960s 21.2% 21.1% 21.4% 2
1970s 20.0% 20.0% 20.0% 1
1990s 18.7% 16.7% 20.1% 4
2000s 21.4% 19.6% 23.1% 3
2010s 20.6% 19.0% 22.2% 2
2020s 18.0% 18.0% 18.0% 1

Countries ranked near Zambia

  1. 29 Cambodia 18.2% compare
  2. 30 Tanzania 18.1% compare
  3. 31 Kyrgyzstan 18.1% compare
  4. 33 Indonesia 17.9% compare
  5. 34 Hong Kong 17.8% compare
  6. 35 Jordan 17.8% compare

See the full ranking of 113 places →

More reference data data for Zambia

All data for Zambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Zambia?
Income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Zambia was 18.0% in 2022, according to World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest income share of the richest 1% (before tax) recorded in Zambia?
The highest recorded value was 23.1% in 2004.
What is the lowest income share of the richest 1% (before tax) recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was 16.7% in 1993.
How does Zambia rank for income share of the richest 1% (before tax)?
Zambia ranks 32nd out of 113 countries with data for 2022.
Is income share of the richest 1% (before tax) rising or falling in Zambia?
Over the last ten years it is down 4.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Zambia data come from?
The figures come from World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Income share of the richest 1% (before tax). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Income share of the richest 1% (before tax)
Unit
%
Source
World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
113 places, 3,075 data points, 1820–2024
Last refreshed

The share of income received by the richest 1%. Income here is measured before taxes and benefits.