Prosperity gap in Zambia
Zambia: Prosperity gap was 22.85 in 2022. ▬ Flat
Latest (2022)
22.85
World rank
2nd
of 120 countries
All-time high
32.79
in 1991
All-time low
14.33
in 1996
Years of data
10
1991–2022
Prosperity gap in Zambia, 1991–2022
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 22.85 for prosperity gap in 2022.
That represents a change of up 8.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prosperity gap in Zambia peaked at 32.79 in 1991 and was at its lowest, 14.33, in 1996.
Zambia ranks 2nd of 120 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Prosperity gap in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 32.79 | — |
| 1993 | 23.52 | -28.3% |
| 1996 | 14.33 | -39.1% |
| 1998 | 15.16 | +5.8% |
| 2002 | 15.37 | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 21.34 | +38.8% |
| 2006 | 23.18 | +8.7% |
| 2010 | 21.02 | -9.3% |
| 2015 | 22.89 | +8.9% |
| 2022 | 22.85 | -0.2% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 22.85 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.5, 4.2× the median. (29 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 22.85 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 9.11, 2.5× the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 21.45 | 14.33 | 32.79 | 4 |
| 2000s | 19.96 | 15.37 | 23.18 | 3 |
| 2010s | 21.96 | 21.02 | 22.89 | 2 |
| 2020s | 22.85 | 22.85 | 22.85 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 1 Mozambique 24.43 compare
- 3 Malawi 16.73 compare
- 4 Burundi 16.38 compare
- 5 Madagascar 14.43 compare
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 prosperity gap in Zambia?
- Prosperity gap in Zambia was 22.85 in 2022, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest prosperity gap recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 32.79 in 1991.
- What is the lowest prosperity gap recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.33 in 1996.
- How does Zambia rank for prosperity gap?
- Zambia ranks 2nd out of 120 countries with data for 2022.
- Is prosperity gap rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Prosperity gap. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Average factor by which incomes need to be multiplied to bring everyone to the prosperity standard of $28 per person per day.