Expense in Zambia

Zambia: Expense was 25.1% in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
25.1%
Change on year
down 0.9%
World rank
84th
of 157 countries
All-time high
25.4%
in 2020
All-time low
14.1%
in 2001
Years of data
23
1998–2021

Expense in Zambia, 1998–2021

01020301998200920211998: 19.6 % of GDP1999: 16 % of GDP2001: 14.1 % of GDP2002: 14.2 % of GDP2003: 15.7 % of GDP2004: 17.4 % of GDP2005: 19.8 % of GDP2006: 14.2 % of GDP2007: 14.8 % of GDP2008: 16.4 % of GDP2009: 14.5 % of GDP2010: 14.7 % of GDP2011: 14.5 % of GDP2012: 16.5 % of GDP2013: 17.9 % of GDP2014: 20.3 % of GDP2015: 23.2 % of GDP2016: 22.4 % of GDP2017: 20.9 % of GDP2018: 20.1 % of GDP2019: 22 % of GDP2020: 25.4 % of GDP2021: 25.1 % of GDP

Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

In 2021, expense in Zambia stood at 25.1%.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.9% on the previous year and up 73.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, expense in Zambia peaked at 25.4% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 14.1%, in 2001.

That places Zambia 84th out of 157 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

Expense in Zambia, year by year

Annual values for Expense (% of GDP) in Zambia, 1998 to 2021.
Year % of GDP Change
1998 19.6%
1999 16.0% -18.2%
2001 14.1% -12.0%
2002 14.2% +0.5%
2003 15.7% +11.1%
2004 17.4% +10.8%
2005 19.8% +13.2%
2006 14.2% -27.9%
2007 14.8% +3.7%
2008 16.4% +11.0%
2009 14.5% -11.5%
2010 14.7% +1.2%
2011 14.5% -1.2%
2012 16.5% +14.0%
2013 17.9% +8.0%
2014 20.3% +13.5%
2015 23.2% +14.7%
2016 22.4% -3.6%
2017 20.9% -6.6%
2018 20.1% -3.9%
2019 22.0% +9.2%
2020 25.4% +15.6%
2021 25.1% -0.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 17.8% 16.0% 19.6% 2
2000s 15.7% 14.1% 19.8% 9
2010s 19.2% 14.5% 23.2% 10
2020s 25.3% 25.1% 25.4% 2

Countries ranked near Zambia

  1. 81 Jordan 25.9% compare
  2. 82 Albania 25.4% compare
  3. 83 Georgia 25.2% compare
  4. 85 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 24.7% compare
  5. 86 Seychelles 24.6% compare
  6. 87 Eswatini 24.6% compare

See the full ranking of 183 places →

More economy & growth data for Zambia

All data for Zambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is expense in Zambia?
Expense in Zambia was 25.1% in 2021, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest expense recorded in Zambia?
The highest recorded value was 25.4% in 2020.
What is the lowest expense recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was 14.1% in 2001.
How does Zambia rank for expense?
Zambia ranks 84th out of 157 countries with data for 2021.
Is expense rising or falling in Zambia?
Over the last ten years it is up 73.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Zambia data come from?
The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Expense (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Expense in Zambia. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 29 August 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/expense-percent-of-gdp/zambia/

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About this data

Indicator
Expense (% of GDP)
Unit
% of GDP
Source
Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
183 places, 5,211 data points, 1972–2024
Last refreshed

Expense is a decrease in net worth resulting from a transaction. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.