Proportion of total government spending on essential services … UIS in Zambia
Zambia: Proportion of total government spending on essential services … UIS was 14.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Zambia, 2000–2025
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
The most recent figure for proportion of total government spending on essential services in Zambia is 14.5%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 5.7% on the previous year and down 13.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of total government spending on essential services in Zambia peaked at 20.2% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 5.7%, in 2008.
That places Zambia 67th out of 197 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 20 years of available data.
Proportion of total government spending on essential services … UIS in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 8.4% | — |
| 2004 | 10.6% | +26.7% |
| 2005 | 7.7% | -27.0% |
| 2007 | 6.2% | -19.4% |
| 2008 | 5.7% | -9.3% |
| 2010 | 19.9% | +251.5% |
| 2011 | 18.6% | -6.1% |
| 2012 | 17.5% | -6.1% |
| 2013 | 17.5% | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 20.2% | +15.4% |
| 2015 | 16.7% | -17.1% |
| 2016 | 15.7% | -6.4% |
| 2017 | 14.9% | -4.7% |
| 2018 | 17.1% | +14.4% |
| 2019 | 15.3% | -10.5% |
| 2020 | 12.4% | -19.1% |
| 2021 | 11.5% | -7.0% |
| 2023 | 13.9% | +20.4% |
| 2024 | 15.4% | +11.0% |
| 2025 | 14.5% | -5.7% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 14.5% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 14.5%, 1.0× the median. (41 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 14.5% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14.4%, 1.0× the median. (42 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Proportion of total government spending on essential services … UIS in Zambia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | +251.5% | 5.7% | 19.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 7.7% | 5.7% | 10.6% | 5 |
| 2010s | 17.3% | 14.9% | 20.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.5% | 11.5% | 15.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 64 Philippines 15.2% compare
- 65 Congo 14.7% compare
- 66 Democratic People's Republic of Korea 14.6% compare
- 68 Djibouti 14.5% compare
- 69 Norway 14.5% compare
- 70 Russian Federation 14.3% compare
- 70 Russia 14.3% compare
More education data for Zambia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 42,585 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 169,961 (2013)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.39 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.49 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.55 % change on previous year (2017)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.2106 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 4.49 million (2024)
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 14.5% in 2025, 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 20.2% in 2014.
- What is the lowest proportion of total government spending on essential services recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.7% in 2008.
- How does Zambia rank for proportion of total government spending on essential services?
- Zambia ranks 67th out of 197 countries with data for 2025.
- Is proportion of total government spending on essential services rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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, education [UIS methodology] (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 20 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).