LGBT+ Rights Index in Zambia
Zambia: LGBT+ Rights Index was -3.3 in 2025. ▼ Falling
LGBT+ Rights Index in Zambia, 1991–2025
Source: Velasco (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, lgbt+ rights index in Zambia stood at -3.3. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, lgbt+ rights index in Zambia peaked at -2.2 in 1991 and was at its lowest, -3.3, in 2013.
Zambia ranks 187th of 194 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
LGBT+ Rights Index in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | -2.2 | — |
| 1992 | -2.2 | -0.0% |
| 1993 | -2.2 | -0.0% |
| 1994 | -2.2 | -0.0% |
| 1995 | -2.2 | -0.0% |
| 1996 | -2.2 | -0.0% |
| 1997 | -2.2 | -0.0% |
| 1998 | -2.2 | -0.0% |
| 1999 | -2.2 | -0.0% |
| 2000 | -2.2 | -0.0% |
| 2001 | -2.2 | -0.0% |
| 2002 | -2.2 | -0.0% |
| 2003 | -2.2 | -0.0% |
| 2004 | -2.2 | -0.0% |
| 2005 | -2.42 | +10.2% |
| 2006 | -2.42 | -0.0% |
| 2007 | -3.17 | +30.9% |
| 2008 | -3.17 | -0.0% |
| 2009 | -3.17 | -0.0% |
| 2010 | -3.17 | -0.0% |
| 2011 | -3.17 | -0.0% |
| 2012 | -3.17 | -0.0% |
| 2013 | -3.3 | +3.9% |
| 2014 | -3.3 | -0.0% |
| 2015 | -3.3 | -0.0% |
| 2016 | -3.3 | -0.0% |
| 2017 | -3.3 | -0.0% |
| 2018 | -3.3 | -0.0% |
| 2019 | -3.3 | -0.0% |
| 2020 | -3.3 | -0.0% |
| 2021 | -3.3 | -0.0% |
| 2022 | -3.3 | -0.0% |
| 2023 | -3.3 | -0.0% |
| 2024 | -3.3 | -0.0% |
| 2025 | -3.3 | -0.0% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's -3.3 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.0521. (46 countries reporting)
- Zambia's -3.3 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is -0.6687, 4.9× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | -2.2 | -2.2 | -2.2 | 9 |
| 2000s | -2.54 | -3.17 | -2.2 | 10 |
| 2010s | -3.26 | -3.3 | -3.17 | 10 |
| 2020s | -3.3 | -3.3 | -3.3 | 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 lgbt+ rights index in Zambia?
- Lgbt+ rights index in Zambia was -3.3 in 2025, according to Velasco (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest lgbt+ rights index recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was -2.2 in 1991.
- What is the lowest lgbt+ rights index recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was -3.3 in 2013.
- How does Zambia rank for lgbt+ rights index?
- Zambia ranks 187th out of 194 countries with data for 2025.
- Is lgbt+ rights index rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Velasco (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of LGBT+ Rights Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Summary measure of a country's LGBTI-related laws, calculated by subtracting the sum of its regressive policy scores from the sum of its progressive policy scores.