Human Development Index in Zambia
Zambia: Human Development Index was 0.595 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Human Development Index in Zambia, 1990–2023
Source: UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 0.595 for human development index in 2023. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
The figure is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 6.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, human development index in Zambia peaked at 0.595 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.413, in 1994.
Zambia ranks 154th of 192 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.4169 | 0.413 | 0.423 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.4753 | 0.429 | 0.526 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.5591 | 0.533 | 0.578 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.584 | 0.574 | 0.595 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More reference data data for Zambia
- Number of child deaths per woman 0.2201 under-five deaths per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. Human Development Index 4.1 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 4.1 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 4.1 live births per woman (2023)
- Rule of Law - Governance estimate -0.5612 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Rule of Law - Governance score 47.31 0-100 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance score 49.72 0-100 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance estimate -0.4076 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Political Stability - Governance estimate -0.1008 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Political Stability - Governance score 64.17 0-100 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is human development index in Zambia?
- Human development index in Zambia was 0.595 in 2023, according to UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest human development index recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 0.595 in 2023.
- What is the lowest human development index recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.413 in 1994.
- How does Zambia rank for human development index?
- Zambia ranks 154th out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is human development index rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Human Development Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure of key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, a good education, and a decent standard of living. Higher values indicate higher human development.