Poverty: Share of population living on less than $1 a day in Zambia
Zambia: Poverty: Share of population living on less than $1 a day was 28.4% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Poverty: Share of population living on less than $1 a day in Zambia, 1991–2022
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2022, poverty: share of population living on less than $1 a day in Zambia stood at 28.4%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 13.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, poverty: share of population living on less than $1 a day in Zambia peaked at 36.0% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 10.7%, in 2002.
Zambia ranks 2nd of 120 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 10 years of available data.
Poverty: Share of population living on less than $1 a day in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 36.0% | — |
| 1993 | 26.9% | -25.2% |
| 1996 | 11.4% | -57.7% |
| 1998 | 12.0% | +5.4% |
| 2002 | 10.7% | -11.3% |
| 2004 | 25.3% | +137.6% |
| 2006 | 29.2% | +15.3% |
| 2010 | 25.0% | -14.4% |
| 2015 | 27.8% | +11.1% |
| 2022 | 28.4% | +2.2% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 28.4% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.2%, 131.6× the median. (29 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 28.4% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.9%, 30.3× the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 21.6% | 11.4% | 36.0% | 4 |
| 2000s | 21.7% | 10.7% | 29.2% | 3 |
| 2010s | 26.4% | 25.0% | 27.8% | 2 |
| 2020s | 28.4% | 28.4% | 28.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 1 Mozambique 28.9% compare
- 3 Malawi 12.6% compare
- 4 Burundi 11.4% compare
- 5 Madagascar 7.9% 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 poverty: share of population living on less than $1 a day in Zambia?
- Poverty: share of population living on less than $1 a day in Zambia was 28.4% in 2022, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest poverty: share of population living on less than $1 a day recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 36.0% in 1991.
- What is the lowest poverty: share of population living on less than $1 a day recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.7% in 2002.
- How does Zambia rank for poverty: share of population living on less than $1 a day?
- Zambia ranks 2nd out of 120 countries with data for 2022.
- Is poverty: share of population living on less than $1 a day rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 Poverty: Share of population living on less than $1 a day. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below $1 per day.