Stunting vs. GDP per capita in Zambia

Zambia: Stunting vs. GDP per capita was 34.6% in 2018. ▼ Falling

Latest (2018)
34.6%
World rank
16th
of 97 countries
All-time high
59.2%
in 1999
All-time low
34.6%
in 2018
Years of data
8
1992–2018

Stunting vs. GDP per capita in Zambia, 1992–2018

02040601992200520181992: 46.3 %1995: 58.1 %1996: 48.6 %1999: 59.2 %2002: 52.5 %2007: 45.8 %2013: 40 %2018: 34.6 %

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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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

  1. 13 Lesotho 35.6% compare
  2. 14 India 35.5% compare
  3. 14 Malawi 35.5% compare
  4. 17 Benin 34.1% compare
  5. 18 Nigeria 33.8% compare
  6. 19 Rwanda 33.1% compare

See the full ranking of 97 places →

More reference data data for Zambia

All data for Zambia →

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

Indicator
Stunting vs. GDP per capita
Unit
%
Source
World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
97 places, 955 data points, 1985–2024
Last refreshed

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.