Democracy Index in Zambia
Zambia: Democracy Index was 6 in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Democracy Index in Zambia, 1964–2018
Source: Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 6 for democracy index in 2018.
The figure is down 14.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, democracy index in Zambia peaked at 7 in 2008 and was at its lowest, -9, in 1972.
That places Zambia 86th out of 168 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Democracy Index in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 2 | — |
| 1965 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 2 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 1969 | 0 | — |
| 1970 | 0 | — |
| 1971 | 0 | — |
| 1972 | -9 | — |
| 1973 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1974 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1975 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1976 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1977 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1978 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1979 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1980 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1981 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1982 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1983 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1984 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1985 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1986 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1987 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1988 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1989 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1990 | -9 | -0.0% |
| 1991 | 6 | -166.7% |
| 1992 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 1 | -83.3% |
| 1997 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 5 | +400.0% |
| 2002 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 7 | +40.0% |
| 2009 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 6 | -14.3% |
| 2017 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 6 | +0.0% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 6 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5, 1.2× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 6 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.5, 1.3× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.33 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| 1970s | -7.2 | -9 | 0 | 10 |
| 1980s | -9 | -9 | -9 | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.5 | -9 | 6 | 10 |
| 2000s | 5 | 1 | 7 | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.67 | 6 | 7 | 9 |
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 democracy index in Zambia?
- Democracy index in Zambia was 6 in 2018, according to Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest democracy index recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 7 in 2008.
- What is the lowest democracy index recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was -9 in 1972.
- How does Zambia rank for democracy index?
- Zambia ranks 86th out of 168 countries with data for 2018.
- Is democracy index rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
It combines information on the extent to which open, multi-party, and competitive elections choose a chief executive who faces comprehensive institutional constraints, and political participation is competitive. It ranges from -10 to 10 (fully democratic).