Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Zambia

Zambia: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income was 21.9% in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
21.9%
World rank
4th
of 130 countries
All-time high
34.6%
in 1991
All-time low
13.2%
in 2002
Years of data
10
1991–2022

Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Zambia, 1991–2022

01020301991200620221991: 34.61993: 25.71996: 201998: 20.72002: 13.22004: 222006: 22.32010: 19.52015: 24.72022: 21.9

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.

Analysis

Zambia recorded 21.9% for proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in 2022.

That represents a change of up 12.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Zambia peaked at 34.6% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 13.2%, in 2002.

That places Zambia 4th out of 130 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 10 years of available data.

Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Zambia, year by year

Annual values for Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%) in Zambia, 1991 to 2022.
Year Value Change
1991 34.6%
1993 25.7% -25.7%
1996 20.0% -22.2%
1998 20.7% +3.5%
2002 13.2% -36.2%
2004 22.0% +66.7%
2006 22.3% +1.4%
2010 19.5% -12.6%
2015 24.7% +26.7%
2022 21.9% -11.3%

Zambia compared with similar countries

  • Zambia's 21.9% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 10.6%, 2.1× the median. (25 countries reporting)
  • Zambia's 21.9% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 11.1%, 2.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 25.2% 20.0% 34.6% 4
2000s 19.2% 13.2% 22.3% 3
2010s 22.1% 19.5% 24.7% 2
2020s 21.9% 21.9% 21.9% 1

Countries ranked near Zambia

  1. 1 Honduras 23.4% compare
  2. 2 Panama 23.2% compare
  3. 3 Colombia 22.7% compare
  4. 5 Brazil 21.2% compare
  5. 6 Israel 21.0% compare
  6. 7 Ghana 20.6% compare

See the full ranking of 131 places →

More infrastructure data for Zambia

All data for Zambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Zambia?
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Zambia was 21.9% in 2022, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income recorded in Zambia?
The highest recorded value was 34.6% in 1991.
What is the lowest proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was 13.2% in 2002.
How does Zambia rank for proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income?
Zambia ranks 4th out of 130 countries with data for 2022.
Is proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income rising or falling in Zambia?
Over the last ten years it is up 12.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Zambia data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Zambia. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/stat/proportion-of-people-living-below-50-percent-of-median-income-percent-2/zambia/

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About this data

Indicator
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%)
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
131 places, 2,510 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed