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
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.
Income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1929 | 18.5% | — |
| 1930 | 20.3% | +9.8% |
| 1931 | 20.5% | +1.0% |
| 1932 | 20.4% | -0.7% |
| 1933 | 18.6% | -8.7% |
| 1934 | 19.3% | +4.0% |
| 1935 | 20.2% | +4.7% |
| 1936 | 18.9% | -6.8% |
| 1937 | 19.2% | +2.1% |
| 1943 | 22.0% | +14.3% |
| 1944 | 21.8% | -0.8% |
| 1945 | 20.9% | -4.1% |
| 1946 | 22.6% | +8.1% |
| 1947 | 21.8% | -3.6% |
| 1948 | 20.9% | -4.2% |
| 1949 | 20.6% | -1.2% |
| 1950 | 20.0% | -3.1% |
| 1951 | 19.3% | -3.5% |
| 1952 | 20.3% | +5.3% |
| 1953 | 19.2% | -5.6% |
| 1954 | 19.8% | +3.1% |
| 1955 | 20.6% | +4.0% |
| 1956 | 19.7% | -4.4% |
| 1957 | 20.7% | +5.0% |
| 1958 | 21.2% | +2.5% |
| 1963 | 21.1% | -0.6% |
| 1968 | 21.4% | +1.6% |
| 1970 | 20.0% | -6.3% |
| 1991 | 18.9% | -5.9% |
| 1993 | 16.7% | -11.3% |
| 1996 | 19.0% | +13.6% |
| 1998 | 20.1% | +6.0% |
| 2002 | 19.6% | -2.6% |
| 2004 | 23.1% | +17.8% |
| 2006 | 21.6% | -6.5% |
| 2010 | 19.0% | -12.2% |
| 2015 | 22.2% | +17.3% |
| 2022 | 18.0% | -18.9% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 18.0% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 16.2%, 1.1× the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 18.0% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14.5%, 1.2× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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
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 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
Share of income received by the richest 1%. Income here is measured before taxes and benefits.