Sub-Saharan Africa · Lower middle income
Zambia: the economy in numbers
Per person: $1,318, or $4,379 at purchasing power parity. Population: 21.9 million (2025).
GDP in 2025, current US dollars: #116 of 204 economies. IMF forecast for 2026: +5.6%.
GDP
Adjusted for US inflation, in 2025 dollars: $7.61 billion in 1960, $28.9 billion in 2025.
GDP per capita
In 2025 dollars: $2,414 per person in 1960, $1,318 in 2025.
Real GDP growth
Average over 2016–2025: 3.4% a year. Years of falling GDP since 1961: 18 of 65.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Inflation
Consumer prices rose 20.3 times from 2000 to 2025. Highest annual inflation: 183.3% in 1993. Years with inflation above 100%: 4. The chart cuts the scale at 100%; “Full scale” shows everything.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Government debt, % of GDP
Highest since 2000: 261.0% of GDP in 2000. IMF forecast for 2031: 56.7%.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
Stock market capitalization, % of GDP
In 2025 listed domestic companies were worth $14.9 billion, or 51.6% of GDP.
Population
1960: 3.15 million · 2025: 21.9 million.
Unemployment rate
1991: 18.9% · 2025: 5.9%.
Life expectancy at birth
1960: 50.6 years · 2024: 66.5 years.
Exports of goods and services
1994: 33.0% · 2024: 35.0%.
Data by year
Show the year-by-year table
| Year | GDP | GDP per capita | Per capita, PPP | Real growth | Inflation | Gov. debt, % GDP | Population | Unemployment | Stock market, % GDP | Life expectancy | Exports, % GDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2031 | 5.3%f | 7.0%f | 56.7%f | ||||||||
| 2030 | 5.3%f | 7.0%f | 61.9%f | ||||||||
| 2029 | 5.3%f | 7.0%f | 67.2%f | ||||||||
| 2028 | 5.0%f | 7.0%f | 72.2%f | ||||||||
| 2027 | 4.9%f | 7.5%f | 77.0%f | ||||||||
| 2026 | 5.6%f | 8.0%f | 82.1%f | ||||||||
| 2025 | $28.9B | $1,318 | $4,379 | 3.8% | 13.9% | 100.6% | 21.9M | 5.9% | 51.6% | ||
| 2024 | $25.3B | $1,187 | $4,221 | 3.8% | 15.0% | 125.5% | 21.3M | 5.9% | 30.7% | 66.5 | 35.0% |
| 2023 | $27.6B | $1,331 | $4,080 | 5.4% | 10.9% | 136.8% | 20.7M | 5.9% | 12.5% | 66.3 | 40.8% |
| 2022 | $29.2B | $1,447 | $3,840 | 5.2% | 11.0% | 99.5% | 20.2M | 6.0% | 13.8% | 65.3 | 40.2% |
| 2021 | $22.1B | $1,127 | $3,503 | 6.2% | 22.0% | 111.0% | 19.6M | 5.2% | 18.3% | 62.4 | 52.2% |
| 2020 | $18.1B | $952 | $3,157 | −2.8% | 15.7% | 140.0% | 19.1M | 6.0% | 15.0% | 63.4 | 46.7% |
| 2019 | $23.3B | $1,259 | $3,361 | 1.4% | 9.2% | 103.3% | 18.5M | 5.5% | 62.9 | 34.6% | |
| 2018 | $26.3B | $1,464 | $3,442 | 4.0% | 7.5% | 81.2% | 18M | 5.0% | 62.1 | 38.0% | |
| 2017 | $25.9B | $1,483 | $3,392 | 3.5% | 6.6% | 66.6% | 17.4M | 4.5% | 61.6 | 35.0% | |
| 2016 | $21B | $1,239 | $3,313 | 3.8% | 17.9% | 61.2% | 16.9M | 5.2% | 61.1 | 35.3% | |
| 2015 | $21.3B | $1,296 | $3,337 | 2.9% | 10.1% | 61.9% | 16.4M | 6.0% | 60.7 | 37.1% | |
| 2014 | $27.1B | $1,707 | $3,441 | 4.7% | 7.8% | 33.9% | 15.9M | 6.6% | 60.1 | 38.8% | |
| 2013 | $28B | $1,821 | $3,477 | 5.1% | 7.0% | 25.9% | 15.4M | 7.3% | 59.4 | 40.5% | |
| 2012 | $25.5B | $1,710 | $3,324 | 7.6% | 6.6% | 24.9% | 14.9M | 7.8% | 58.7 | 40.1% | |
| 2011 | $23.5B | $1,625 | $3,228 | 5.6% | 6.4% | 20.8% | 14.4M | 10.5% | 13.6% | 57.8 | 40.5% |
| 2010 | $20.3B | $1,451 | $3,098 | 10.3% | 8.5% | 18.9% | 14M | 13.2% | 56.9 | 37.0% | |
| 2009 | $15.3B | $1,136 | $2,872 | 9.2% | 13.4% | 20.5% | 13.5M | 10.6% | 55.9 | 29.3% | |
| 2008 | $17.9B | $1,376 | $2,708 | 7.8% | 12.4% | 19.2% | 13M | 7.9% | 54.8 | 28.9% | |
| 2007 | $14.1B | $1,119 | $2,555 | 8.4% | 10.7% | 21.9% | 12.6M | 10.6% | 53.7 | 33.6% | |
| 2006 | $12.8B | $1,052 | $2,378 | 7.9% | 9.0% | 25.0% | 12.1M | 13.2% | 23.1% | 52.7 | 32.6% |
| 2005 | $8.33B | $711 | $2,213 | 7.2% | 18.3% | 75.7% | 11.7M | 15.9% | 30.2% | 51.6 | 30.6% |
| 2004 | $6.22B | $549 | $2,068 | 7.0% | 18.0% | 129.9% | 11.3M | 15.3% | 26.5% | 50.5 | 33.5% |
| 2003 | $4.9B | $446 | $1,942 | 6.9% | 21.4% | 159.5% | 11M | 14.7% | 15.4% | 49.6 | 25.7% |
| 2002 | $4.19B | $394 | $1,837 | 4.5% | 22.2% | 180.2% | 10.6M | 14.1% | 48.5 | 27.1% | |
| 2001 | $4.09B | $397 | $1,785 | 5.3% | 21.4% | 210.2% | 10.3M | 13.4% | 7.3% | 47.4 | 25.1% |
| 2000 | $3.6B | $359 | $1,709 | 3.9% | 26.0% | 261.0% | 10M | 12.9% | 46.6 | 23.9% | |
| 1999 | $3.4B | $350 | $1,654 | 4.7% | 26.8% | 9.74M | 12.5% | 8.0% | 45.9 | 25.0% | |
| 1998 | $3.54B | $373 | $1,601 | −0.4% | 24.5% | 9.48M | 12.0% | 8.1% | 45.7 | 24.6% | |
| 1997 | $4.3B | $466 | $1,631 | 3.8% | 24.4% | 9.24M | 13.3% | 11.7% | 45.7 | 27.4% | |
| 1996 | $3.6B | $400 | $1,585 | 6.2% | 43.1% | 9.0M | 15.3% | 6.0% | 45.8 | 28.5% | |
| 1995 | $3.81B | $433 | $1,501 | 2.9% | 34.9% | 8.79M | 16.8% | 11.2% | 46.1 | 32.9% | |
| 1994 | $3.66B | $426 | $1,464 | −8.6% | 54.6% | 8.58M | 18.7% | 46.3 | 33.0% | ||
| 1993 | $3.27B | $391 | $1,607 | 6.8% | 183.3% | 8.37M | 19.7% | 46.7 | |||
| 1992 | $3.18B | $389 | $1,505 | −1.7% | 165.7% | 8.18M | 19.6% | 47.0 | |||
| 1991 | $3.38B | $423 | $1,534 | −0.0% | 97.6% | 7.98M | 18.9% | 47.4 | |||
| 1990 | $3.29B | $422 | $1,522 | −0.5% | 107.0% | 7.79M | 48.2 | ||||
| 1989 | $3.99B | $526 | −1.0% | 123.4% | 7.59M | 48.9 | |||||
| 1988 | $3.73B | $504 | 6.3% | 51.0% | 7.39M | 49.7 | |||||
| 1987 | $2.27B | $315 | 2.7% | 47.0% | 7.19M | 50.4 | |||||
| 1986 | $1.66B | $238 | 0.7% | 55.8% | 6.99M | 51.1 | |||||
| 1985 | $2.25B | $332 | 1.6% | 37.4% | 6.78M | 52.0 | |||||
| 1984 | $2.72B | $413 | −0.3% | 20.0% | 6.58M | 52.9 | |||||
| 1983 | $3.32B | $520 | −2.0% | 19.7% | 6.38M | 53.7 | |||||
| 1982 | $3.87B | $627 | −2.8% | 12.5% | 6.18M | 54.4 | |||||
| 1981 | $4.01B | $670 | 6.2% | 14.0% | 5.98M | 55.0 | |||||
| 1980 | $3.88B | $669 | 3.0% | 11.7% | 5.8M | 55.5 | |||||
| 1979 | $3.35B | $595 | −3.0% | 5.63M | 56.0 | ||||||
| 1978 | $2.81B | $514 | 0.6% | 5.47M | 56.3 | ||||||
| 1977 | $2.52B | $474 | −4.6% | 5.3M | 56.3 | ||||||
| 1976 | $2.74B | $533 | 6.2% | 5.14M | 56.1 | ||||||
| 1975 | $2.44B | $490 | −2.3% | 4.99M | 55.7 | ||||||
| 1974 | $2.91B | $601 | 6.4% | 4.84M | 55.4 | ||||||
| 1973 | $2.43B | $518 | −1.0% | 4.7M | 54.9 | ||||||
| 1972 | $1.87B | $410 | 9.2% | 4.57M | 54.4 | ||||||
| 1971 | $1.65B | $372 | −0.1% | 4.44M | 53.9 | ||||||
| 1970 | $1.79B | $414 | 4.8% | 4.32M | 53.4 | ||||||
| 1969 | $1.93B | $459 | −0.4% | 4.2M | 53.0 | ||||||
| 1968 | $1.57B | $387 | 1.2% | 4.07M | 52.7 | ||||||
| 1967 | $1.34B | $341 | 7.9% | 3.94M | 52.5 | ||||||
| 1966 | $1.24B | $325 | −5.6% | 3.81M | 52.3 | ||||||
| 1965 | $1.06B | $287 | 16.6% | 3.69M | 52.1 | ||||||
| 1964 | $823M | $230 | 12.2% | 3.58M | 51.2 | ||||||
| 1963 | $704M | $203 | 3.3% | 3.47M | 51.6 | ||||||
| 1962 | $679M | $202 | −2.5% | 3.36M | 51.3 | ||||||
| 1961 | $682M | $210 | 1.4% | 3.25M | 51.0 | ||||||
| 1960 | $699M | $222 | 3.15M | 50.6 |
e: IMF estimate; f: IMF forecast. Inflation: IMF data for 1980–1985, World Bank for the other years.
Nearby economies in Sub-Saharan Africa
Nearest by distance between capitals, with GDP per capita.
Angola · Benin · Botswana · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cabo Verde · Cameroon · Central African Republic · Chad · Comoros · Côte d’Ivoire · DR Congo · Equatorial Guinea · Eritrea · Eswatini · Ethiopia · Gabon · Gambia · Ghana · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Kenya · Lesotho · Liberia · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Mozambique · Namibia · Niger · Nigeria · Republic of the Congo · Rwanda · Senegal · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Somalia · South Africa · South Sudan · Sudan · São Tomé and Príncipe · Tanzania · Togo · Uganda · Zambia · Zimbabwe
Rankings
GDP by country · GDP per capita · Real GDP growth · Inflation by country · Government debt to GDP · Stock market to GDP · Population by country · Unemployment by country
Data and methods
- GDP: gross domestic product in current US dollars, converted from the local currency at market exchange rates (World Bank); not adjusted for inflation.
- Purchasing power parity (PPP): GDP per person in international dollars, which buy the same basket of goods and services in every country. It compares living standards across countries in the same year; it is not adjusted for inflation over time.
- In 2025 dollars: the charts can remove US inflation (US consumer price index, annual average) so that dollar amounts from different years compare in today's money. Exchange rate swings still show.
- Growth and inflation: World Bank data (calendar years). Years the World Bank does not cover yet, and the estimates and forecasts, come from the IMF World Economic Outlook (October 2026): its forecasts start in 2026, and the years after a country's last actual year are IMF estimates.
- Government debt: gross debt of the general government (central, state and local government and social security funds) as a percentage of GDP, IMF. The World Bank's central government debt is narrower and covers fewer countries.
- Stock market capitalization: the end-of-year value of domestic companies listed on the country's exchanges (World Federation of Exchanges via the World Bank; before 2016, Standard & Poor's), as a percentage of GDP: the “Buffett indicator”. Investment funds are excluded, and so are companies listed only abroad; companies from elsewhere that list on an exchange count for its country (Hong Kong lists many mainland Chinese companies).
- Unemployment: ILO modeled estimates (share of the labor force); comparable across countries, but they may differ from national figures.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)