Animal protein consumption in Zambia
Zambia: Animal protein consumption was 3.31 grams of protein per day per capita in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
3.31 grams of protein per day per capita
Change on year
down 2.9%
World rank
113th
of 192 countries
All-time high
5.06 grams of protein per day per capita
in 1970
All-time low
1.38 grams of protein per day per capita
in 2011
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Animal protein consumption in Zambia, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in grams of protein per day per capita.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 3.31 grams of protein per day per capita for animal protein consumption in 2023.
That represents a change of down 2.9% on the previous year and up 40.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, animal protein consumption in Zambia peaked at 5.06 grams of protein per day per capita in 1970 and was at its lowest, 1.38 grams of protein per day per capita, in 2011.
That places Zambia 113th out of 192 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Animal protein consumption in Zambia, year by year
| Year | grams of protein per day per capita | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2.39 grams of protein per day per capita | — |
| 1962 | 2.7 grams of protein per day per capita | +12.8% |
| 1963 | 3.87 grams of protein per day per capita | +43.5% |
| 1964 | 3.79 grams of protein per day per capita | -2.1% |
| 1965 | 3.75 grams of protein per day per capita | -0.9% |
| 1966 | 3.92 grams of protein per day per capita | +4.5% |
| 1967 | 4 grams of protein per day per capita | +1.9% |
| 1968 | 4.1 grams of protein per day per capita | +2.6% |
| 1969 | 4.51 grams of protein per day per capita | +10.2% |
| 1970 | 5.06 grams of protein per day per capita | +12.1% |
| 1971 | 4.41 grams of protein per day per capita | -12.9% |
| 1972 | 4.62 grams of protein per day per capita | +4.8% |
| 1973 | 3.87 grams of protein per day per capita | -16.3% |
| 1974 | 3.27 grams of protein per day per capita | -15.4% |
| 1975 | 3.96 grams of protein per day per capita | +21.1% |
| 1976 | 3.33 grams of protein per day per capita | -15.8% |
| 1977 | 3.23 grams of protein per day per capita | -3.0% |
| 1978 | 2.76 grams of protein per day per capita | -14.7% |
| 1979 | 2.78 grams of protein per day per capita | +1.0% |
| 1980 | 2.95 grams of protein per day per capita | +6.0% |
| 1981 | 2.24 grams of protein per day per capita | -24.1% |
| 1982 | 3.02 grams of protein per day per capita | +34.7% |
| 1983 | 2.71 grams of protein per day per capita | -10.1% |
| 1984 | 3.09 grams of protein per day per capita | +13.8% |
| 1985 | 3.01 grams of protein per day per capita | -2.6% |
| 1986 | 2.35 grams of protein per day per capita | -21.9% |
| 1987 | 2.54 grams of protein per day per capita | +8.1% |
| 1988 | 2.39 grams of protein per day per capita | -5.9% |
| 1989 | 2.67 grams of protein per day per capita | +11.8% |
| 1990 | 2.44 grams of protein per day per capita | -8.7% |
| 1991 | 2.41 grams of protein per day per capita | -1.3% |
| 1992 | 2.63 grams of protein per day per capita | +9.1% |
| 1993 | 2.27 grams of protein per day per capita | -13.5% |
| 1994 | 2.58 grams of protein per day per capita | +13.7% |
| 1995 | 2.53 grams of protein per day per capita | -2.3% |
| 1996 | 2.35 grams of protein per day per capita | -7.0% |
| 1997 | 2.22 grams of protein per day per capita | -5.5% |
| 1998 | 2.3 grams of protein per day per capita | +3.7% |
| 1999 | 2.11 grams of protein per day per capita | -8.3% |
| 2000 | 2.09 grams of protein per day per capita | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 1.88 grams of protein per day per capita | -10.1% |
| 2002 | 1.93 grams of protein per day per capita | +2.6% |
| 2003 | 2.04 grams of protein per day per capita | +6.1% |
| 2004 | 2.03 grams of protein per day per capita | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 2.03 grams of protein per day per capita | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 1.74 grams of protein per day per capita | -14.2% |
| 2007 | 2 grams of protein per day per capita | +14.7% |
| 2008 | 1.88 grams of protein per day per capita | -6.0% |
| 2009 | 2.06 grams of protein per day per capita | +10.0% |
| 2010 | 1.45 grams of protein per day per capita | -29.7% |
| 2011 | 1.38 grams of protein per day per capita | -4.8% |
| 2012 | 1.92 grams of protein per day per capita | +39.1% |
| 2013 | 2.35 grams of protein per day per capita | +22.4% |
| 2014 | 2.68 grams of protein per day per capita | +14.0% |
| 2015 | 3.15 grams of protein per day per capita | +17.5% |
| 2016 | 3.18 grams of protein per day per capita | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 3.32 grams of protein per day per capita | +4.4% |
| 2018 | 3.4 grams of protein per day per capita | +2.4% |
| 2019 | 3.41 grams of protein per day per capita | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 3.16 grams of protein per day per capita | -7.3% |
| 2021 | 3.5 grams of protein per day per capita | +10.8% |
| 2022 | 3.41 grams of protein per day per capita | -2.6% |
| 2023 | 3.31 grams of protein per day per capita | -2.9% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 3.31 grams of protein per day per capita is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.69 grams of protein per day per capita, 1.2× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 3.31 grams of protein per day per capita is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.24 grams of protein per day per capita, 1.5× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.67 grams of protein per day per capita | 2.39 grams of protein per day per capita | 4.51 grams of protein per day per capita | 9 |
| 1970s | 3.73 grams of protein per day per capita | 2.76 grams of protein per day per capita | 5.06 grams of protein per day per capita | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.7 grams of protein per day per capita | 2.24 grams of protein per day per capita | 3.09 grams of protein per day per capita | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.38 grams of protein per day per capita | 2.11 grams of protein per day per capita | 2.63 grams of protein per day per capita | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.97 grams of protein per day per capita | 1.74 grams of protein per day per capita | 2.09 grams of protein per day per capita | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.62 grams of protein per day per capita | 1.38 grams of protein per day per capita | 3.41 grams of protein per day per capita | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.35 grams of protein per day per capita | 3.16 grams of protein per day per capita | 3.5 grams of protein per day per capita | 4 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 110 North Korea 3.54 grams of protein per day per capita compare
- 111 Belarus 3.33 grams of protein per day per capita compare
- 112 Chile 3.32 grams of protein per day per capita compare
- 114 Montenegro 3.28 grams of protein per day per capita compare
- 115 Guinea 3.27 grams of protein per day per capita compare
- 116 Iran 3.24 grams of protein per day per capita compare
More economy & growth data for Zambia
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate -28.84 % change on previous year (2024)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 2.31 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 4.92 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 13.19 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.1053 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 138.75 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate 7.79 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0769 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 101.32 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is animal protein consumption in Zambia?
- Animal protein consumption in Zambia was 3.31 grams of protein per day per capita in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest animal protein consumption recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 5.06 grams of protein per day per capita in 1970.
- What is the lowest animal protein consumption recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.38 grams of protein per day per capita in 2011.
- How does Zambia rank for animal protein consumption?
- Zambia ranks 113th out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is animal protein consumption rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 40.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Animal protein consumption. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Quantity that is available for consumption at the end of the supply chain. It does not account for consumer waste, so the quantity that is actually consumed may be lower.