Freedom in Zambia
Where Zambia sits on every statistic this site carries, each against the countries the same source covers. Zambia has a figure for 54 of 60 indicators.
Personal
What a person may say, believe, publish, join and where they may go.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom of expression | 0.778 | 2025 | 61 of 163 |
| Freedom of association | 0.746 | 2025 | 81 of 163 |
| Civil liberties | 0.773 | 2025 | 78 of 163 |
| Freedom from political violence | 0.769 | 2025 | 84 of 163 |
| Equal protection of rights | 0.209 | 2025 | 145 of 163 |
| Academic freedom | 0.844 | 2025 | 36 of 163 |
| Media censorship effort | 0.665 | 2025 | 75 of 163 |
| Harassment of journalists | 1.356 | 2025 | 40 of 163 |
| Media self-censorship | 0.215 | 2025 | 98 of 163 |
| Universal right to vote | 1.000 | 2025 | 137 of 167 |
| Legal rights for women | 81.3 | 2023 | 86 of 164 |
| Women can get a passport as men do | 0.000 | 2023 | 164 of 164 |
| Access to justice for women | 0.000 | 2025 | 162 of 163 |
| Access to justice for men | 0.000 | 2025 | 162 of 163 |
| Civil liberties score | 31.0 | 2025 | 90 of 167 |
| Political rights score | 22.0 | 2025 | 87 of 167 |
Economic
What a person may own, trade, earn and keep.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tax revenue as a share of GDP | 18.8% | 2024 | 48 of 83 |
| Regulatory quality | 48.2 | 2024 | 100 of 169 |
| GDP per capita | $3,742 | 2025 | 134 of 157 |
| GDP growth | 3.8% | 2025 | — |
| Inflation | 13.9% | 2025 | — |
| Unemployment | 5.9% | 2025 | 97 of 163 |
Digital
What a person may read, send and encrypt online, and who is watching.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet use | 17.1% | 2024 | 148 of 154 |
| Fixed broadband subscriptions | 0.8 | 2024 | 116 of 134 |
| Mobile subscriptions | 108.7 | 2024 | 90 of 134 |
Government
How power is held, checked and abused.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electoral democracy | 0.497 | 2025 | 81 of 163 |
| Liberal democracy | 0.375 | 2025 | 76 of 163 |
| Rule of law | 0.654 | 2025 | 67 of 163 |
| Judicial checks on government | 0.710 | 2025 | 74 of 163 |
| Legislative checks on government | 0.757 | 2025 | 56 of 157 |
| Political corruption | 0.428 | 2025 | 70 of 163 |
| Civil society participation | 0.918 | 2025 | 15 of 163 |
| Women’s political empowerment | 0.791 | 2025 | 75 of 163 |
| Voice and accountability | 49.7 | 2024 | 92 of 170 |
| Control of corruption | 38.6 | 2024 | 94 of 170 |
| Government effectiveness | 41.0 | 2024 | 108 of 169 |
| Political stability | 64.2 | 2024 | 81 of 170 |
Society
Health, schooling, safety and who takes part.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human Development Index | 0.595 | 2023 | 126 of 165 |
| Life expectancy | 66.5 | 2024 | 135 of 170 |
| Adult literacy | 71.8% | 2024 | 25 of 27 |
| Secondary school enrolment | 56.8% | 2024 | 76 of 85 |
| Government spending on education | 4.1% | 2023 | — |
| Health spending | 6.0% | 2023 | — |
| Health costs paid out of pocket | 10.3% | 2023 | 19 of 164 |
| Maternal mortality | 85.0 | 2023 | 105 of 167 |
| Women in parliament | 15.0% | 2025 | 127 of 156 |
| Women in the workforce | 56.4% | 2025 | — |
| Fertility rate | 4.04 | 2024 | — |
| Urban population | 45.9% | 2025 | — |
| Refugees who left | 1.6 | 2024 | 38 of 168 |
| Population | 21.9M | 2025 | — |
Environment
Energy, emissions and access to power.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| CO₂ emissions per person | 0.54 | 2024 | 35 of 165 |
| Renewable energy use | 83.0% | 2021 | 11 of 169 |
| Access to electricity | 53.6% | 2024 | 151 of 169 |
What is missing
6 of the 60 statistics here have no figure for Zambia in the year they were last ranked. Coverage differs by source: an indicator missing here is one its producer does not publish for Zambia, not a zero. Who publishes what