Strong Civil Society Index in Zambia
Zambia: Strong Civil Society Index was 0.885 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
0.885
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
38th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.893
in 2022
All-time low
0.191
in 1935
Years of data
115
1911–2025
Strong Civil Society Index in Zambia, 1911–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, strong civil society index in Zambia stood at 0.885.
That represents a change of down 0.3% on the previous year and up 17.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, strong civil society index in Zambia peaked at 0.893 in 2022 and was at its lowest, 0.191, in 1935.
Zambia ranks 38th of 176 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Strong Civil Society Index in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1911 | 0.217 | — |
| 1912 | 0.217 | +0.0% |
| 1913 | 0.217 | +0.0% |
| 1914 | 0.217 | +0.0% |
| 1915 | 0.217 | +0.0% |
| 1916 | 0.217 | +0.0% |
| 1917 | 0.217 | +0.0% |
| 1918 | 0.217 | +0.0% |
| 1919 | 0.217 | +0.0% |
| 1920 | 0.217 | +0.0% |
| 1921 | 0.217 | +0.0% |
| 1922 | 0.217 | +0.0% |
| 1923 | 0.217 | +0.0% |
| 1924 | 0.217 | +0.0% |
| 1925 | 0.217 | +0.0% |
| 1926 | 0.217 | +0.0% |
| 1927 | 0.217 | +0.0% |
| 1928 | 0.217 | +0.0% |
| 1929 | 0.217 | +0.0% |
| 1930 | 0.217 | +0.0% |
| 1931 | 0.217 | +0.0% |
| 1932 | 0.217 | +0.0% |
| 1933 | 0.217 | +0.0% |
| 1934 | 0.217 | +0.0% |
| 1935 | 0.191 | -12.0% |
| 1936 | 0.191 | +0.0% |
| 1937 | 0.191 | +0.0% |
| 1938 | 0.191 | +0.0% |
| 1939 | 0.191 | +0.0% |
| 1940 | 0.191 | +0.0% |
| 1941 | 0.191 | +0.0% |
| 1942 | 0.191 | +0.0% |
| 1943 | 0.191 | +0.0% |
| 1944 | 0.191 | +0.0% |
| 1945 | 0.191 | +0.0% |
| 1946 | 0.191 | +0.0% |
| 1947 | 0.191 | +0.0% |
| 1948 | 0.191 | +0.0% |
| 1949 | 0.191 | +0.0% |
| 1950 | 0.191 | +0.0% |
| 1951 | 0.191 | +0.0% |
| 1952 | 0.191 | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 0.218 | +14.1% |
| 1954 | 0.218 | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 0.218 | +0.0% |
| 1956 | 0.218 | +0.0% |
| 1957 | 0.218 | +0.0% |
| 1958 | 0.218 | +0.0% |
| 1959 | 0.218 | +0.0% |
| 1960 | 0.319 | +46.3% |
| 1961 | 0.319 | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 0.319 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 0.376 | +17.9% |
| 1964 | 0.532 | +41.5% |
| 1965 | 0.596 | +12.0% |
| 1966 | 0.649 | +8.9% |
| 1967 | 0.649 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 0.649 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 0.617 | -4.9% |
| 1970 | 0.515 | -16.5% |
| 1971 | 0.521 | +1.2% |
| 1972 | 0.512 | -1.7% |
| 1973 | 0.417 | -18.6% |
| 1974 | 0.381 | -8.6% |
| 1975 | 0.377 | -1.0% |
| 1976 | 0.377 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 0.377 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 0.377 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 0.377 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 0.419 | +11.1% |
| 1981 | 0.427 | +1.9% |
| 1982 | 0.427 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 0.427 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 0.427 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 0.41 | -4.0% |
| 1986 | 0.421 | +2.7% |
| 1987 | 0.416 | -1.2% |
| 1988 | 0.433 | +4.1% |
| 1989 | 0.433 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 0.559 | +29.1% |
| 1991 | 0.751 | +34.3% |
| 1992 | 0.866 | +15.3% |
| 1993 | 0.829 | -4.3% |
| 1994 | 0.829 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 0.829 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 0.837 | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 0.817 | -2.4% |
| 1998 | 0.817 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 0.817 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 0.817 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 0.85 | +4.0% |
| 2002 | 0.835 | -1.8% |
| 2003 | 0.835 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.835 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.815 | -2.4% |
| 2006 | 0.815 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.795 | -2.5% |
| 2008 | 0.811 | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 0.803 | -1.0% |
| 2010 | 0.773 | -3.7% |
| 2011 | 0.758 | -1.9% |
| 2012 | 0.787 | +3.8% |
| 2013 | 0.753 | -4.3% |
| 2014 | 0.74 | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 0.755 | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 0.682 | -9.7% |
| 2017 | 0.693 | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 0.692 | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 0.595 | -14.0% |
| 2020 | 0.626 | +5.2% |
| 2021 | 0.712 | +13.7% |
| 2022 | 0.893 | +25.4% |
| 2023 | 0.888 | -0.6% |
| 2024 | 0.888 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 0.885 | -0.3% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 0.885 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.6705, 1.3× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 0.885 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.654, 1.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 0.217 | 0.217 | 0.217 | 9 |
| 1920s | 0.217 | 0.217 | 0.217 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.204 | 0.191 | 0.217 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.191 | 0.191 | 0.191 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.2099 | 0.191 | 0.218 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.5025 | 0.319 | 0.649 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.4231 | 0.377 | 0.521 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.424 | 0.41 | 0.433 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.7951 | 0.559 | 0.866 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.8211 | 0.795 | 0.85 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.7228 | 0.595 | 0.787 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.8153 | 0.626 | 0.893 | 6 |
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 strong civil society index in Zambia?
- Strong civil society index in Zambia was 0.885 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest strong civil society index recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 0.893 in 2022.
- What is the lowest strong civil society index recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.191 in 1935.
- How does Zambia rank for strong civil society index?
- Zambia ranks 38th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
- Is strong civil society index rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Strong Civil Society Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 115 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Data by V-Dem. Expert estimates of the extent to which interest groups, labor unions, charities, and other civil society organizations are autonomous from the state and can freely pursue their goals. The index ranges from 0 to 1 (strongest).