Share of imports that come from China in Zambia
Zambia: Share of imports that come from China was 14.0% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
14.0%
Change on year
down 15.5%
World rank
105th
of 206 countries
All-time high
16.9%
in 2020
All-time low
0.0%
in 1964
Years of data
60
1964–2024
Share of imports that come from China in Zambia, 1964–2024
Source: International Monetary Fund (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of imports that come from china in Zambia is 14.0%, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 15.5% on the previous year and up 52.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of imports that come from china in Zambia peaked at 16.9% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1964.
That places Zambia 105th out of 206 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of imports that come from China in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 0.0% | — |
| 1966 | 0.1% | +186.3% |
| 1967 | 0.2% | +206.0% |
| 1968 | 0.3% | +86.4% |
| 1969 | 0.3% | -14.9% |
| 1970 | 0.7% | +129.0% |
| 1971 | 1.1% | +61.1% |
| 1972 | 2.6% | +141.9% |
| 1973 | 3.0% | +14.2% |
| 1974 | 5.4% | +79.8% |
| 1975 | 3.2% | -41.1% |
| 1976 | 2.2% | -30.4% |
| 1977 | 1.5% | -33.5% |
| 1978 | 1.5% | -0.9% |
| 1979 | 0.4% | -71.1% |
| 1980 | 0.7% | +68.8% |
| 1981 | 0.8% | +16.3% |
| 1982 | 0.3% | -58.1% |
| 1983 | 0.3% | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 0.3% | -14.6% |
| 1985 | 0.4% | +51.3% |
| 1986 | 0.1% | -76.0% |
| 1987 | 0.3% | +171.9% |
| 1988 | 0.6% | +121.3% |
| 1989 | 0.4% | -35.4% |
| 1990 | 0.3% | -32.4% |
| 1991 | 0.2% | -38.5% |
| 1992 | 0.5% | +204.7% |
| 1993 | 0.5% | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 0.7% | +29.9% |
| 1995 | 0.4% | -38.6% |
| 1996 | 0.6% | +37.0% |
| 1997 | 1.0% | +64.6% |
| 1998 | 0.6% | -35.3% |
| 1999 | 0.8% | +33.7% |
| 2000 | 1.0% | +24.2% |
| 2001 | 3.5% | +244.9% |
| 2002 | 2.6% | -25.5% |
| 2003 | 2.8% | +4.6% |
| 2004 | 2.1% | -22.1% |
| 2005 | 3.2% | +51.5% |
| 2006 | 2.7% | -17.1% |
| 2007 | 6.0% | +122.4% |
| 2008 | 4.4% | -25.7% |
| 2009 | 4.7% | +6.1% |
| 2010 | 5.4% | +15.3% |
| 2011 | 10.0% | +83.3% |
| 2012 | 9.9% | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 5.1% | -48.6% |
| 2014 | 9.2% | +80.9% |
| 2015 | 8.6% | -6.1% |
| 2016 | 8.0% | -7.6% |
| 2017 | 12.8% | +60.6% |
| 2018 | 13.7% | +7.0% |
| 2019 | 14.1% | +3.4% |
| 2020 | 16.9% | +19.2% |
| 2021 | 12.7% | -24.7% |
| 2022 | 15.5% | +22.2% |
| 2023 | 16.6% | +6.8% |
| 2024 | 14.0% | -15.5% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 14.0% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 18.1%, 77% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 14.0% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 17.6%, 80% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.3% | 5 |
| 1970s | 2.2% | 0.4% | 5.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.4% | 0.1% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.6% | 0.2% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.3% | 1.0% | 6.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.7% | 5.1% | 14.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.1% | 12.7% | 16.9% | 5 |
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)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 310.54 million BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0123 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 14.57 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 2.36 billion BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 268.02 % change on previous year (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0932 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 110.69 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 28.89 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of imports that come from china in Zambia?
- Share of imports that come from china in Zambia was 14.0% in 2024, according to International Monetary Fund (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of imports that come from china recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 16.9% in 2020.
- What is the lowest share of imports that come from china recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1964.
- How does Zambia rank for share of imports that come from china?
- Zambia ranks 105th out of 206 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of imports that come from china rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 52.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of imports that come from China. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 60 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Percentage of a country's total goods imports, including freight and insurance costs, that come from China.