Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure in Zambia

Zambia: Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure was 26.3% in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
26.3%
Change on year
up 11.4%
World rank
91st
of 191 countries
All-time high
38.3%
in 2009
All-time low
21.5%
in 2001
Years of data
23
2000–2022

Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure in Zambia, 2000–2022

0102030402000201120222000: 22.42001: 21.52002: 25.62003: 27.32004: 29.12005: 29.42006: 31.32007: 31.52008: 34.62009: 38.32010: 362011: 33.22012: 33.22013: 332014: 38.22015: 312016: 36.42017: 32.52018: 28.62019: 25.72020: 23.72021: 23.62022: 26.3

Source: World Bank.

Analysis

In 2022, wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure in Zambia stood at 26.3%.

The figure is up 11.4% on the previous year and down 20.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure in Zambia peaked at 38.3% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 21.5%, in 2001.

Zambia ranks 91st of 191 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.

Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure in Zambia, year by year

Annual values for Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure in Zambia, 2000 to 2022.
Year Value Change
2000 22.4%
2001 21.5% -4.3%
2002 25.6% +19.2%
2003 27.3% +6.6%
2004 29.1% +6.6%
2005 29.4% +1.1%
2006 31.3% +6.4%
2007 31.5% +0.7%
2008 34.6% +9.8%
2009 38.3% +10.8%
2010 36.0% -6.0%
2011 33.2% -7.7%
2012 33.2% +0.0%
2013 33.0% -0.8%
2014 38.2% +15.8%
2015 31.0% -18.8%
2016 36.4% +17.3%
2017 32.5% -10.6%
2018 28.6% -11.9%
2019 25.7% -10.4%
2020 23.7% -7.4%
2021 23.6% -0.5%
2022 26.3% +11.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 29.1% 21.5% 38.3% 10
2010s 32.8% 25.7% 38.2% 10
2020s 24.6% 23.6% 26.3% 3

Countries ranked near Zambia

  1. 88 Bosnia and Herzegovina 26.5% compare
  2. 89 Guinea-Bissau 26.5% compare
  3. 90 Oman 26.4% compare
  4. 92 Ireland 26.1% compare
  5. 93 Brazil 26.1% compare
  6. 94 Djibouti 26.1% compare

See the full ranking of 191 places →

More reference data data for Zambia

All data for Zambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure in Zambia?
Wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure in Zambia was 26.3% in 2022, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure recorded in Zambia?
The highest recorded value was 38.3% in 2009.
What is the lowest wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was 21.5% in 2001.
How does Zambia rank for wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure?
Zambia ranks 91st out of 191 countries with data for 2022.
Is wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure rising or falling in Zambia?
Over the last ten years it is down 20.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Zambia data come from?
The figures come from the World Bank, published as part of Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure in Zambia. Statizoid. Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/wage-bill-as-a-percentage-of-public-expenditure/zambia/

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About this data

Indicator
Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
191 places, 4,119 data points, 2000–2022
Last refreshed