Direct Democracy Index in Zambia
Zambia: Direct Democracy Index was 0.065 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
0.065
Change on year
down 14.5%
World rank
73rd
of 175 countries
All-time high
0.121
in 2016
All-time low
0
in 1911
Years of data
115
1911–2025
Direct Democracy Index in Zambia, 1911–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 0.065 for direct democracy index in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 14.5% on the previous year and up 109.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, direct democracy index in Zambia peaked at 0.121 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1911.
Zambia ranks 73rd of 175 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Direct Democracy Index in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1911 | 0 | — |
| 1912 | 0 | — |
| 1913 | 0 | — |
| 1914 | 0 | — |
| 1915 | 0 | — |
| 1916 | 0 | — |
| 1917 | 0 | — |
| 1918 | 0 | — |
| 1919 | 0 | — |
| 1920 | 0 | — |
| 1921 | 0 | — |
| 1922 | 0 | — |
| 1923 | 0 | — |
| 1924 | 0 | — |
| 1925 | 0 | — |
| 1926 | 0 | — |
| 1927 | 0 | — |
| 1928 | 0 | — |
| 1929 | 0 | — |
| 1930 | 0 | — |
| 1931 | 0 | — |
| 1932 | 0 | — |
| 1933 | 0 | — |
| 1934 | 0 | — |
| 1935 | 0 | — |
| 1936 | 0 | — |
| 1937 | 0 | — |
| 1938 | 0 | — |
| 1939 | 0 | — |
| 1940 | 0 | — |
| 1941 | 0 | — |
| 1942 | 0 | — |
| 1943 | 0 | — |
| 1944 | 0 | — |
| 1945 | 0 | — |
| 1946 | 0 | — |
| 1947 | 0 | — |
| 1948 | 0 | — |
| 1949 | 0 | — |
| 1950 | 0 | — |
| 1951 | 0 | — |
| 1952 | 0 | — |
| 1953 | 0 | — |
| 1954 | 0 | — |
| 1955 | 0 | — |
| 1956 | 0 | — |
| 1957 | 0 | — |
| 1958 | 0 | — |
| 1959 | 0 | — |
| 1960 | 0 | — |
| 1961 | 0 | — |
| 1962 | 0 | — |
| 1963 | 0 | — |
| 1964 | 0 | — |
| 1965 | 0 | — |
| 1966 | 0 | — |
| 1967 | 0 | — |
| 1968 | 0 | — |
| 1969 | 0.02 | — |
| 1970 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 0.02 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 0.031 | +55.0% |
| 1992 | 0.031 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 0.031 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 0.031 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 0.031 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 0.031 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 0.031 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 0.031 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 0.031 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 0.031 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 0.031 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.031 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.031 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.031 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.031 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 0.031 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.031 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.031 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 0.031 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.031 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 0.031 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 0.031 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 0.031 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 0.031 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 0.031 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 0.121 | +290.3% |
| 2017 | 0.121 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 0.121 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 0.121 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 0.121 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 0.11 | -9.1% |
| 2022 | 0.099 | -10.0% |
| 2023 | 0.088 | -11.1% |
| 2024 | 0.076 | -13.6% |
| 2025 | 0.065 | -14.5% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 0.065 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.0275, 2.4× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 0.065 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.033, 2.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| 1920s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.002 | 0 | 0.02 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.0299 | 0.02 | 0.031 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.031 | 0.031 | 0.031 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.067 | 0.031 | 0.121 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0932 | 0.065 | 0.121 | 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 direct democracy index in Zambia?
- Direct democracy index in Zambia was 0.065 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest direct democracy index recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 0.121 in 2016.
- What is the lowest direct democracy index recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1911.
- How does Zambia rank for direct democracy index?
- Zambia ranks 73rd out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is direct democracy index rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 109.7%. 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 Direct Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Measures the extent of how easy it is for citizens to vote on specific issues themselves in popular initiatives, referendums, and plebiscites.