Prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) in Zambia

Zambia: Prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) was 27.1 % in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
27.1 %
Change on year
up 1.5%
World rank
76th
of 177 countries
All-time high
36.2 %
in 2000
All-time low
26.1 %
in 2017
Years of data
24
2000–2023

Prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) in Zambia, 2000–2023

0102030402000201120232000: 36.2 %2001: 35 %2002: 33.9 %2003: 32.9 %2004: 31.9 %2005: 31 %2006: 30.1 %2007: 29.3 %2008: 28.5 %2009: 27.8 %2010: 27.3 %2011: 26.8 %2012: 26.5 %2013: 26.3 %2014: 26.3 %2015: 26.2 %2016: 26.2 %2017: 26.1 %2018: 26.2 %2019: 26.2 %2020: 26.2 %2021: 26.4 %2022: 26.7 %2023: 27.1 %

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) in Zambia is 27.1 %, measured in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.5% on the previous year and up 3.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) in Zambia peaked at 36.2 % in 2000 and was at its lowest, 26.1 %, in 2017.

Zambia ranks 76th of 177 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.

Prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) in Zambia, year by year

Annual values for Prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) (percent) — Value — Female — All age ranges or no breakdown by age — National in Zambia, 2000 to 2023.
Year % Change
2000 36.2 %
2001 35 % -3.3%
2002 33.9 % -3.1%
2003 32.9 % -2.9%
2004 31.9 % -3.0%
2005 31 % -2.8%
2006 30.1 % -2.9%
2007 29.3 % -2.7%
2008 28.5 % -2.7%
2009 27.8 % -2.5%
2010 27.3 % -1.8%
2011 26.8 % -1.8%
2012 26.5 % -1.1%
2013 26.3 % -0.8%
2014 26.3 % +0.0%
2015 26.2 % -0.4%
2016 26.2 % +0.0%
2017 26.1 % -0.4%
2018 26.2 % +0.4%
2019 26.2 % +0.0%
2020 26.2 % +0.0%
2021 26.4 % +0.8%
2022 26.7 % +1.1%
2023 27.1 % +1.5%

Zambia compared with similar countries

  • Zambia's 27.1 % is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 33.9 %, 80% of the median. (40 countries reporting)
  • Zambia's 27.1 % is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 38.95 %, 70% of the median. (44 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 31.66 % 27.8 % 36.2 % 10
2010s 26.41 % 26.1 % 27.3 % 10
2020s 26.6 % 26.2 % 27.1 % 4

Countries ranked near Zambia

  1. 74 Zimbabwe 27.5 % compare
  2. 75 Uganda 27.2 % compare
  3. 76 Iraq 27.1 % compare
  4. 78 Kiribati 26.9 % compare
  5. 79 Indonesia 26.7 % compare

See the full ranking of 234 places →

More economy & growth data for Zambia

All data for Zambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) in Zambia?
Prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) in Zambia was 27.1 % in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
What is the highest prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) recorded in Zambia?
The highest recorded value was 36.2 % in 2000.
What is the lowest prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was 26.1 % in 2017.
How does Zambia rank for prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age (15-49 years)?
Zambia ranks 76th out of 177 countries with data for 2023.
Is prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) rising or falling in Zambia?
Over the last ten years it is up 3.0%. 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, published as part of Prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) (percent) — Value — Female — All age ranges or no breakdown by age — National. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) in Zambia. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 19 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-anemia-among-women-of-reproductive-age-15-49-years-percent-value-female-all/zambia/

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About this data

Indicator
Prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) (percent) — Value — Female — All age ranges or no breakdown by age — National
Unit
%
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
234 places, 5,616 data points, 2000–2023
Last refreshed

The Suite of Gender Indicators presents a set of indicators relevant to agrifood systems that are disaggregated by sex, with the aim of highlighting gender differences across agrifood systems. The initial set of indicators is based on those used in FAO’s 2023 Status of Women in Agrifood Systems (SWAFS) report and on the recommendations of an expert consultation held in December 2023, and covers key dimensions including economic participation, governance, agency, social norms, assets and services, education, health, and nutrition. Indicator selection was informed by expert judgment and by the availability of data with sufficient geographic and temporal coverage to enable meaningful comparisons across regions and over time. While most indicators are produced and published by FAO and other international organizations, the objective of this domain is to provide a one-stop shop for sex-disaggregated data on agrifood systems.