Press freedom in Zambia
Zambia: Press freedom was 0 in 2016. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2016)
0
World rank
131st
of 194 countries
All-time high
2
in 1992
All-time low
0
in 1980
Years of data
36
1979–2016
Press freedom in Zambia, 1979–2016
Source: Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2016, press freedom in Zambia stood at 0. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
The figure is down 100.0% over five years.
Over the whole period, press freedom in Zambia peaked at 2 in 1992 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1980.
Zambia ranks 131st of 194 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.
Press freedom in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 1 | — |
| 1980 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 1982 | 0 | — |
| 1983 | 0 | — |
| 1984 | 0 | — |
| 1985 | 0 | — |
| 1986 | 0 | — |
| 1987 | 0 | — |
| 1988 | 0 | — |
| 1990 | 0 | — |
| 1991 | 1 | — |
| 1992 | 2 | +100.0% |
| 1993 | 1 | -50.0% |
| 1994 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 1995 | 0 | — |
| 1996 | 0 | — |
| 1997 | 1 | — |
| 1998 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 1999 | 0 | — |
| 2000 | 0 | — |
| 2001 | 0 | — |
| 2002 | 0 | — |
| 2003 | 0 | — |
| 2004 | 0 | — |
| 2005 | 0 | — |
| 2006 | 0 | — |
| 2007 | 0 | — |
| 2008 | 0 | — |
| 2009 | 0 | — |
| 2010 | 0 | — |
| 2011 | 1 | — |
| 2012 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 2014 | 0 | — |
| 2015 | 0 | — |
| 2016 | 0 | — |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 0 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1. (46 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 0 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1980s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 1990s | 0.5 | 0 | 2 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.2857 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 131 Algeria 0 compare
- 131 Angola 0
- 131 Armenia 0 compare
- 131 Azerbaijan 0
- 131 Bahrain 0 compare
- 131 Bangladesh 0 compare
- 131 Belarus 0 compare
- 131 Brunei 0
- 131 Burundi 0
- 131 Cambodia 0 compare
- 131 Cameroon 0
- 131 Central African Republic 0 compare
- 131 Chad 0
- 131 China 0
- 131 Cuba 0
- 131 Democratic Republic of Congo 0 compare
- 131 Djibouti 0 compare
- 131 Ecuador 0 compare
- 131 Egypt 0 compare
- 131 Equatorial Guinea 0
- 131 Eritrea 0
- 131 Eswatini 0 compare
- 131 Ethiopia 0 compare
- 131 Gabon 0 compare
- 131 Gambia 0 compare
- 131 Guinea 0 compare
- 131 Honduras 0 compare
- 131 Iran 0 compare
- 131 Iraq 0
- 131 Jordan 0 compare
- 131 Kazakhstan 0 compare
- 131 Kyrgyzstan 0 compare
- 131 Laos 0
- 131 Libya 0 compare
- 131 Malaysia 0 compare
- 131 Maldives 0 compare
- 131 Mexico 0 compare
- 131 Morocco 0 compare
- 131 Myanmar 0
- 131 North Korea 0
- 131 North Macedonia 0 compare
- 131 Oman 0
- 131 Pakistan 0 compare
- 131 Qatar 0 compare
- 131 Russia 0 compare
- 131 Rwanda 0
- 131 Saudi Arabia 0
- 131 Singapore 0 compare
- 131 Somalia 0
- 131 South Sudan 0 compare
- 131 Sri Lanka 0 compare
- 131 Sudan 0 compare
- 131 Syria 0
- 131 Tajikistan 0
- 131 Thailand 0 compare
- 131 Turkey 0 compare
- 131 Turkmenistan 0
- 131 United Arab Emirates 0
- 131 Uzbekistan 0
- 131 Venezuela 0 compare
- 131 Vietnam 0
- 131 Yemen 0 compare
- 131 Zimbabwe 0 compare
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 press freedom in Zambia?
- Press freedom in Zambia was 0 in 2016, according to Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest press freedom recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 2 in 1992.
- What is the lowest press freedom recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1980.
- How does Zambia rank for press freedom?
- Zambia ranks 131st out of 194 countries with data for 2016.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Press freedom. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Based on the classification and data by Freedom House. It captures the legal, political, and economic environment of the press.