Stunting vs. GDP per capita in Zambia
Zambia: Stunting vs. GDP per capita was 34.6% in 2018. ▼ Falling
Stunting vs. GDP per capita in Zambia, 1992–2018
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2018, stunting vs. gdp per capita in Zambia stood at 34.6%. That is the lowest value across all 8 years on record.
That represents a change of down 24.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, stunting vs. gdp per capita in Zambia peaked at 59.2% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 34.6%, in 2018.
That places Zambia 16th out of 97 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top quarter.
Stunting vs. GDP per capita in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 46.3% | — |
| 1995 | 58.1% | +25.5% |
| 1996 | 48.6% | -16.4% |
| 1999 | 59.2% | +21.8% |
| 2002 | 52.5% | -11.3% |
| 2007 | 45.8% | -12.8% |
| 2013 | 40.0% | -12.7% |
| 2018 | 34.6% | -13.5% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 34.6% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 22.7%, 1.5× the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 34.6% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 28.5%, 1.2× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 53.0% | 46.3% | 59.2% | 4 |
| 2000s | 49.1% | 45.8% | 52.5% | 2 |
| 2010s | 37.3% | 34.6% | 40.0% | 2 |
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 stunting vs. gdp per capita in Zambia?
- Stunting vs. gdp per capita in Zambia was 34.6% in 2018, according to World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest stunting vs. gdp per capita recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 59.2% in 1999.
- What is the lowest stunting vs. gdp per capita recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.6% in 2018.
- How does Zambia rank for stunting vs. gdp per capita?
- Zambia ranks 16th out of 97 countries with data for 2018.
- Is stunting vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Stunting vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 8 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Stunting measures the share of children younger than 5 years that are too short for their age. GDP per capita is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.