Deliberative Democracy Index in Zambia
Zambia: Deliberative Democracy Index was 0.412 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Deliberative Democracy Index in Zambia, 1911–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for deliberative democracy index in Zambia is 0.412, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 4.0% on the previous year and up 50.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, deliberative democracy index in Zambia peaked at 0.45 in 2007 and was at its lowest, 0.032, in 1911.
That places Zambia 71st out of 175 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Deliberative Democracy Index in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1911 | 0.032 | — |
| 1912 | 0.033 | +3.1% |
| 1913 | 0.033 | +0.0% |
| 1914 | 0.033 | +0.0% |
| 1915 | 0.033 | +0.0% |
| 1916 | 0.033 | +0.0% |
| 1917 | 0.033 | +0.0% |
| 1918 | 0.033 | +0.0% |
| 1919 | 0.033 | +0.0% |
| 1920 | 0.033 | +0.0% |
| 1921 | 0.033 | +0.0% |
| 1922 | 0.033 | +0.0% |
| 1923 | 0.032 | -3.0% |
| 1924 | 0.033 | +3.1% |
| 1925 | 0.033 | +0.0% |
| 1926 | 0.035 | +6.1% |
| 1927 | 0.035 | +0.0% |
| 1928 | 0.035 | +0.0% |
| 1929 | 0.035 | +0.0% |
| 1930 | 0.035 | +0.0% |
| 1931 | 0.035 | +0.0% |
| 1932 | 0.035 | +0.0% |
| 1933 | 0.035 | +0.0% |
| 1934 | 0.035 | +0.0% |
| 1935 | 0.035 | +0.0% |
| 1936 | 0.035 | +0.0% |
| 1937 | 0.035 | +0.0% |
| 1938 | 0.035 | +0.0% |
| 1939 | 0.035 | +0.0% |
| 1940 | 0.035 | +0.0% |
| 1941 | 0.036 | +2.9% |
| 1942 | 0.036 | +0.0% |
| 1943 | 0.036 | +0.0% |
| 1944 | 0.035 | -2.8% |
| 1945 | 0.035 | +0.0% |
| 1946 | 0.035 | +0.0% |
| 1947 | 0.036 | +2.9% |
| 1948 | 0.037 | +2.8% |
| 1949 | 0.038 | +2.7% |
| 1950 | 0.038 | +0.0% |
| 1951 | 0.039 | +2.6% |
| 1952 | 0.039 | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 0.039 | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 0.039 | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 0.039 | +0.0% |
| 1956 | 0.039 | +0.0% |
| 1957 | 0.039 | +0.0% |
| 1958 | 0.039 | +0.0% |
| 1959 | 0.04 | +2.6% |
| 1960 | 0.041 | +2.5% |
| 1961 | 0.042 | +2.4% |
| 1962 | 0.042 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 0.044 | +4.8% |
| 1964 | 0.177 | +302.3% |
| 1965 | 0.209 | +18.1% |
| 1966 | 0.21 | +0.5% |
| 1967 | 0.21 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 0.21 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 0.202 | -3.8% |
| 1970 | 0.2 | -1.0% |
| 1971 | 0.191 | -4.5% |
| 1972 | 0.192 | +0.5% |
| 1973 | 0.155 | -19.3% |
| 1974 | 0.146 | -5.8% |
| 1975 | 0.146 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 0.146 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 0.146 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 0.146 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 0.146 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 0.146 | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 0.146 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 0.146 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 0.145 | -0.7% |
| 1984 | 0.145 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 0.145 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 0.145 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 0.145 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 0.145 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 0.145 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 0.153 | +5.5% |
| 1991 | 0.235 | +53.6% |
| 1992 | 0.378 | +60.9% |
| 1993 | 0.385 | +1.9% |
| 1994 | 0.412 | +7.0% |
| 1995 | 0.415 | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 0.423 | +1.9% |
| 1997 | 0.416 | -1.7% |
| 1998 | 0.416 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 0.416 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 0.42 | +1.0% |
| 2001 | 0.423 | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 0.444 | +5.0% |
| 2003 | 0.436 | -1.8% |
| 2004 | 0.438 | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 0.441 | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 0.446 | +1.1% |
| 2007 | 0.45 | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 0.449 | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 0.443 | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 0.441 | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 0.421 | -4.5% |
| 2012 | 0.422 | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 0.286 | -32.2% |
| 2014 | 0.281 | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 0.273 | -2.8% |
| 2016 | 0.262 | -4.0% |
| 2017 | 0.274 | +4.6% |
| 2018 | 0.309 | +12.8% |
| 2019 | 0.248 | -19.7% |
| 2020 | 0.271 | +9.3% |
| 2021 | 0.227 | -16.2% |
| 2022 | 0.437 | +92.5% |
| 2023 | 0.442 | +1.1% |
| 2024 | 0.429 | -2.9% |
| 2025 | 0.412 | -4.0% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 0.412 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.2395, 1.7× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 0.412 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.2275, 1.8× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Deliberative Democracy Index in Zambia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | +302.3% | 0.044 | 0.177 |
| 2022 | +92.5% | 0.227 | 0.437 |
| 1992 | +60.9% | 0.235 | 0.378 |
| 1991 | +53.6% | 0.153 | 0.235 |
| 2013 | -32.2% | 0.422 | 0.286 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 0.0329 | 0.032 | 0.033 | 9 |
| 1920s | 0.0337 | 0.032 | 0.035 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.035 | 0.035 | 0.035 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.0359 | 0.035 | 0.038 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.039 | 0.038 | 0.04 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.1387 | 0.041 | 0.21 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.1614 | 0.146 | 0.2 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1453 | 0.145 | 0.146 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.3649 | 0.153 | 0.423 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.439 | 0.42 | 0.45 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.3217 | 0.248 | 0.441 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.3697 | 0.227 | 0.442 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More social development data for Zambia
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 83,225 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 346 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 4 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 4 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 346 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0038 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is deliberative democracy index in Zambia?
- Deliberative democracy index in Zambia was 0.412 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest deliberative democracy index recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 0.45 in 2007.
- What is the lowest deliberative democracy index recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.032 in 1911.
- How does Zambia rank for deliberative democracy index?
- Zambia ranks 71st out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is deliberative democracy index rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 50.9%. 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 Deliberative Democracy 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
Central estimate of the extent of suffrage, the freedom and fairness of elections, freedoms of association and expression, as well as the extent to which political elites justify their positions, justify them with the common good, acknowledge counterarguments, consult elites in policy changes, and society deliberates policy changes.