Share of government consumption in GDP vs. GDP per capita in Zambia
Zambia: Share of government consumption in GDP vs. GDP per capita was 17.2% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
17.2%
Change on year
down 8.1%
World rank
122nd
of 184 countries
All-time high
60.3%
in 1981
All-time low
5.7%
in 2000
Years of data
69
1955–2023
Share of government consumption in GDP vs. GDP per capita in Zambia, 1955–2023
Source: Feenstra et al. - Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 17.2% for share of government consumption in gdp vs. gdp per capita in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 8.1% on the previous year and up 31.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of government consumption in gdp vs. gdp per capita in Zambia peaked at 60.3% in 1981 and was at its lowest, 5.7%, in 2000.
Zambia ranks 122nd of 184 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of government consumption in GDP vs. GDP per capita in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1955 | 24.3% | — |
| 1956 | 24.4% | +0.1% |
| 1957 | 23.6% | -3.0% |
| 1958 | 23.0% | -2.9% |
| 1959 | 22.4% | -2.3% |
| 1960 | 22.8% | +1.4% |
| 1961 | 24.7% | +8.7% |
| 1962 | 25.2% | +1.8% |
| 1963 | 25.6% | +1.5% |
| 1964 | 25.7% | +0.5% |
| 1965 | 29.2% | +13.6% |
| 1966 | 28.4% | -2.7% |
| 1967 | 28.6% | +0.7% |
| 1968 | 28.8% | +0.9% |
| 1969 | 29.6% | +2.5% |
| 1970 | 39.8% | +34.5% |
| 1971 | 49.1% | +23.4% |
| 1972 | 47.4% | -3.4% |
| 1973 | 48.3% | +1.8% |
| 1974 | 48.0% | -0.6% |
| 1975 | 48.6% | +1.4% |
| 1976 | 46.2% | -4.9% |
| 1977 | 49.5% | +7.1% |
| 1978 | 46.3% | -6.4% |
| 1979 | 46.4% | +0.2% |
| 1980 | 53.9% | +16.1% |
| 1981 | 60.3% | +12.0% |
| 1982 | 56.5% | -6.3% |
| 1983 | 52.4% | -7.4% |
| 1984 | 55.9% | +6.8% |
| 1985 | 56.9% | +1.7% |
| 1986 | 46.3% | -18.6% |
| 1987 | 28.2% | -39.1% |
| 1988 | 18.1% | -36.0% |
| 1989 | 23.7% | +31.1% |
| 1990 | 18.8% | -20.5% |
| 1991 | 17.9% | -4.6% |
| 1992 | 15.2% | -15.5% |
| 1993 | 9.6% | -36.8% |
| 1994 | 12.7% | +32.5% |
| 1995 | 13.1% | +2.9% |
| 1996 | 11.3% | -13.7% |
| 1997 | 11.1% | -1.6% |
| 1998 | 10.2% | -7.9% |
| 1999 | 8.6% | -15.9% |
| 2000 | 5.7% | -33.5% |
| 2001 | 6.4% | +12.3% |
| 2002 | 7.4% | +15.3% |
| 2003 | 8.9% | +19.8% |
| 2004 | 12.3% | +37.8% |
| 2005 | 13.3% | +8.8% |
| 2006 | 12.7% | -4.6% |
| 2007 | 10.0% | -21.6% |
| 2008 | 11.1% | +11.7% |
| 2009 | 10.6% | -4.9% |
| 2010 | 9.9% | -6.1% |
| 2011 | 9.7% | -2.5% |
| 2012 | 11.4% | +17.7% |
| 2013 | 13.0% | +14.3% |
| 2014 | 15.6% | +19.3% |
| 2015 | 16.8% | +7.8% |
| 2016 | 19.0% | +13.0% |
| 2017 | 17.6% | -7.3% |
| 2018 | 16.3% | -7.4% |
| 2019 | 22.5% | +38.0% |
| 2020 | 19.3% | -14.2% |
| 2021 | 23.1% | +19.7% |
| 2022 | 18.7% | -18.9% |
| 2023 | 17.2% | -8.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 23.5% | 22.4% | 24.4% | 5 |
| 1960s | 26.8% | 22.8% | 29.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 46.9% | 39.8% | 49.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 45.2% | 18.1% | 60.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 12.9% | 8.6% | 18.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.8% | 5.7% | 13.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.2% | 9.7% | 22.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.6% | 17.2% | 23.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More economy & growth data for Zambia
- 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)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), annual growth rate -15.6 % change on previous year (2024)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.845 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Gross national expenditure (current US$), per capita 1,003 current US$ per person (2024)
- Gross national expenditure (current LCU), annual growth rate 9.26 % change on previous year (2024)
- Gross national expenditure (current LCU), per unit of GDP 22.11 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Gross national expenditure (current LCU), per capita 26,247 current LCU per person (2024)
- Exports of goods and services (current US$), annual growth rate -21.42 % change on previous year (2024)
- Exports of goods and services (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.3498 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of government consumption in gdp vs. gdp per capita in Zambia?
- Share of government consumption in gdp vs. gdp per capita in Zambia was 17.2% in 2023, according to Feenstra et al. - Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of government consumption in gdp vs. gdp per capita recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 60.3% in 1981.
- What is the lowest share of government consumption in gdp vs. gdp per capita recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.7% in 2000.
- How does Zambia rank for share of government consumption in gdp vs. gdp per capita?
- Zambia ranks 122nd out of 184 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of government consumption in gdp vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 31.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Feenstra et al. - Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of government consumption in GDP vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Government consumption divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.