Value of imported goods as a share of GDP (International Monetary) in Zambia
Zambia: Value of imported goods as a share of GDP (International Monetary) was 43.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
43.4%
Change on year
down 2.4%
World rank
60th
of 201 countries
All-time high
44.4%
in 2024
All-time low
12.3%
in 1994
Years of data
62
1964–2025
Value of imported goods as a share of GDP in Zambia, 1964–2025
Source: International Monetary Fund (2026); National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 43.4% for value of imported goods as a share of gdp in 2025.
The figure is down 2.4% on the previous year and up 14.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Zambia peaked at 44.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 12.3%, in 1994.
Zambia ranks 60th of 201 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 62 years of available data.
Value of imported goods as a share of GDP (International Monetary) in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 25.5% | — |
| 1965 | 26.6% | +4.3% |
| 1966 | 26.6% | -0.2% |
| 1967 | 29.9% | +12.6% |
| 1968 | 27.5% | -8.0% |
| 1969 | 21.6% | -21.5% |
| 1970 | 25.1% | +16.4% |
| 1971 | 31.8% | +26.5% |
| 1972 | 28.2% | -11.3% |
| 1973 | 20.1% | -28.8% |
| 1974 | 24.0% | +19.6% |
| 1975 | 34.1% | +42.2% |
| 1976 | 21.7% | -36.5% |
| 1977 | 22.9% | +5.6% |
| 1978 | 18.9% | -17.7% |
| 1979 | 20.4% | +8.1% |
| 1980 | 26.3% | +29.0% |
| 1981 | 18.9% | -28.3% |
| 1982 | 23.9% | +26.6% |
| 1983 | 19.7% | -17.3% |
| 1984 | 20.5% | +3.6% |
| 1985 | 28.2% | +37.9% |
| 1986 | 31.8% | +12.7% |
| 1987 | 26.9% | -15.3% |
| 1988 | 21.7% | -19.4% |
| 1989 | 26.8% | +23.5% |
| 1990 | 36.6% | +36.6% |
| 1991 | 23.4% | -36.2% |
| 1992 | 26.0% | +11.4% |
| 1993 | 21.2% | -18.4% |
| 1994 | 12.3% | -41.9% |
| 1995 | 20.4% | +65.7% |
| 1996 | 22.9% | +12.2% |
| 1997 | 16.2% | -29.4% |
| 1998 | 30.7% | +89.7% |
| 1999 | 24.6% | -19.9% |
| 2000 | 30.3% | +23.0% |
| 2001 | 26.4% | -12.9% |
| 2002 | 25.6% | -3.1% |
| 2003 | 31.6% | +23.5% |
| 2004 | 34.6% | +9.6% |
| 2005 | 31.0% | -10.5% |
| 2006 | 23.7% | -23.4% |
| 2007 | 28.5% | +20.0% |
| 2008 | 28.5% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 24.9% | -12.6% |
| 2010 | 26.2% | +5.2% |
| 2011 | 31.0% | +18.1% |
| 2012 | 34.5% | +11.3% |
| 2013 | 34.5% | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 34.5% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 37.9% | +9.8% |
| 2016 | 36.0% | -5.1% |
| 2017 | 33.9% | -5.8% |
| 2018 | 35.9% | +5.9% |
| 2019 | 31.0% | -13.7% |
| 2020 | 29.3% | -5.4% |
| 2021 | 32.1% | +9.5% |
| 2022 | 31.0% | -3.4% |
| 2023 | 36.7% | +18.4% |
| 2024 | 44.4% | +21.1% |
| 2025 | 43.4% | -2.4% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 43.4% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 28.5%, 1.5× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 43.4% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 26.0%, 1.7× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 26.3% | 21.6% | 29.9% | 6 |
| 1970s | 24.7% | 18.9% | 34.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 24.5% | 18.9% | 31.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 23.4% | 12.3% | 36.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 28.5% | 23.7% | 34.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 33.5% | 26.2% | 37.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 36.2% | 29.3% | 44.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
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 value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Zambia?
- Value of imported goods as a share of gdp in Zambia was 43.4% in 2025, according to International Monetary Fund (2026); National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest value of imported goods as a share of gdp recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 44.4% in 2024.
- What is the lowest value of imported goods as a share of gdp recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.3% in 1994.
- How does Zambia rank for value of imported goods as a share of gdp?
- Zambia ranks 60th out of 201 countries with data for 2025.
- Is value of imported goods as a share of gdp rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (2026); National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Value of imported goods as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Value of a country’s total goods imports, including freight and insurance costs, as a percentage of a country’s gross domestic product (GDP).