Electoral Democracy Index in Zambia

Zambia: Electoral Democracy Index was 0.497 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
0.497
Change on year
down 2.9%
World rank
88th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.525
in 2023
All-time low
0.038
in 1912
Years of data
115
1911–2025

Electoral Democracy Index in Zambia, 1911–2025

00.10.20.30.40.5191119682025

Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for electoral democracy index in Zambia is 0.497, measured in 2025.

The figure is down 2.9% on the previous year and up 8.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, electoral democracy index in Zambia peaked at 0.525 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.038, in 1912.

Zambia ranks 88th of 176 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1910s 0.0381 0.038 0.039 9
1920s 0.0491 0.038 0.066 10
1930s 0.0668 0.064 0.068 10
1940s 0.0757 0.067 0.097 10
1950s 0.1035 0.096 0.109 10
1960s 0.2234 0.115 0.307 10
1970s 0.2163 0.192 0.283 10
1980s 0.1921 0.192 0.193 10
1990s 0.4278 0.217 0.49 10
2000s 0.495 0.484 0.517 10
2010s 0.4426 0.358 0.514 10
2020s 0.4713 0.353 0.525 6

Countries ranked near Zambia

  1. 85 Nigeria 0.505 compare
  2. 86 Malaysia 0.504 compare
  3. 87 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.498 compare
  4. 89 Benin 0.493 compare
  5. 90 Albania 0.484 compare
  6. 91 Sierra Leone 0.471 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Zambia

All data for Zambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is electoral democracy index in Zambia?
Electoral democracy index in Zambia was 0.497 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest electoral democracy index recorded in Zambia?
The highest recorded value was 0.525 in 2023.
What is the lowest electoral democracy index recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was 0.038 in 1912.
How does Zambia rank for electoral democracy index?
Zambia ranks 88th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is electoral democracy index rising or falling in Zambia?
Over the last ten years it is up 8.5%. 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 Electoral 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

Indicator
Electoral Democracy Index
Source
V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
176 places, 29,649 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed

Central estimate of the extent to which political leaders are elected under comprehensive suffrage in free and fair elections, and freedoms of association and expression are guaranteed.