Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Zambia

Zambia: Proportion of total government spending on essential services was 28.5% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
28.5%
Change on year
up 11.3%
World rank
96th
of 114 countries
All-time high
33.5%
in 2006
All-time low
16.1%
in 2019
Years of data
23
2001–2024

Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Zambia, 2001–2024

01020302001201220242001: 23.72002: 312003: 312004: 25.32005: 16.42006: 33.52007: 222008: 262009: 24.52010: 20.92011: 20.22012: 24.82013: 19.12014: 23.72015: 19.72016: 212017: 25.62019: 16.12020: 20.22021: 18.12022: 21.82023: 25.62024: 28.5

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.

Analysis

Zambia recorded 28.5% for proportion of total government spending on essential services in 2024.

That represents a change of up 11.3% on the previous year and up 20.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, proportion of total government spending on essential services in Zambia peaked at 33.5% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 16.1%, in 2019.

That places Zambia 96th out of 114 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.

Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Zambia, year by year

Annual values for Proportion of total government spending on essential services (%) in Zambia, 2001 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2001 23.7%
2002 31.0% +31.1%
2003 31.0% -0.2%
2004 25.3% -18.4%
2005 16.4% -35.0%
2006 33.5% +103.9%
2007 22.0% -34.3%
2008 26.0% +18.0%
2009 24.5% -5.6%
2010 20.9% -15.0%
2011 20.2% -2.9%
2012 24.8% +22.5%
2013 19.1% -23.0%
2014 23.7% +24.1%
2015 19.7% -17.1%
2016 21.0% +7.1%
2017 25.6% +21.8%
2019 16.1% -37.1%
2020 20.2% +25.3%
2021 18.1% -10.4%
2022 21.8% +20.7%
2023 25.6% +17.4%
2024 28.5% +11.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 25.9% 16.4% 33.5% 9
2010s 21.2% 16.1% 25.6% 9
2020s 22.9% 18.1% 28.5% 5

Countries ranked near Zambia

  1. 93 Bahamas 29.6% compare
  2. 94 Burkina Faso 29.5% compare
  3. 95 Mozambique 28.5% compare
  4. 97 Kenya 26.7% compare
  5. 98 Maldives 26.1% compare
  6. 99 Ethiopia 25.1% compare

See the full ranking of 125 places →

More infrastructure data for Zambia

All data for Zambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is proportion of total government spending on essential services in Zambia?
Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Zambia was 28.5% in 2024, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest proportion of total government spending on essential services recorded in Zambia?
The highest recorded value was 33.5% in 2006.
What is the lowest proportion of total government spending on essential services recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was 16.1% in 2019.
How does Zambia rank for proportion of total government spending on essential services?
Zambia ranks 96th out of 114 countries with data for 2024.
Is proportion of total government spending on essential services rising or falling in Zambia?
Over the last ten years it is up 20.4%. 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 total government spending on essential services (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Zambia. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/stat/proportion-of-total-government-spending-on-essential-services-percent/zambia/

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About this data

Indicator
Proportion of total government spending on essential services (%)
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
125 places, 2,281 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed