Tax revenue as a proportion of GDP in Zambia

Zambia: Tax revenue as a proportion of GDP was 16.8% in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
16.8%
Change on year
up 2.2%
World rank
82nd
of 164 countries
All-time high
16.8%
in 2021
All-time low
11.7%
in 2009
Years of data
21
2001–2021

Tax revenue as a proportion of GDP in Zambia, 2001–2021

0510152001201120212001: 16.52002: 15.42003: 14.92004: 15.32005: 14.82006: 13.72007: 14.12008: 13.32009: 11.72010: 12.82011: 14.72012: 14.92013: 14.32014: 15.82015: 14.42016: 13.42017: 15.22018: 16.62019: 16.72020: 16.42021: 16.8

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.

Analysis

Zambia recorded 16.8% for tax revenue as a proportion of gdp in 2021. That is the highest value across all 21 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.2% on the previous year and up 14.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, tax revenue as a proportion of gdp in Zambia peaked at 16.8% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 11.7%, in 2009.

That places Zambia 82nd out of 164 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.

Tax revenue as a proportion of GDP in Zambia, year by year

Annual values for Tax revenue as a proportion of GDP (%) in Zambia, 2001 to 2021.
Year Value Change
2001 16.5%
2002 15.4% -6.7%
2003 14.9% -3.8%
2004 15.3% +3.1%
2005 14.8% -3.4%
2006 13.7% -7.3%
2007 14.1% +2.7%
2008 13.3% -5.8%
2009 11.7% -11.9%
2010 12.8% +9.8%
2011 14.7% +14.7%
2012 14.9% +1.2%
2013 14.3% -3.7%
2014 15.8% +9.9%
2015 14.4% -8.7%
2016 13.4% -7.2%
2017 15.2% +13.7%
2018 16.6% +9.2%
2019 16.7% +0.5%
2020 16.4% -1.6%
2021 16.8% +2.2%

Zambia compared with similar countries

  • Zambia's 16.8% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 13.9%, 1.2× the median. (34 countries reporting)
  • Zambia's 16.8% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 13.0%, 1.3× the median. (32 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 14.4% 11.7% 16.5% 9
2010s 14.9% 12.8% 16.7% 10
2020s 16.6% 16.4% 16.8% 2

Countries ranked near Zambia

  1. 79 Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 17.0% compare
  2. 80 Mongolia 16.9% compare
  3. 81 Ireland 16.8% compare
  4. 83 Trinidad and Tobago 16.8% compare
  5. 84 Melanesia 16.7% compare
  6. 85 Latvia 16.6% compare

See the full ranking of 194 places →

More economy & growth data for Zambia

All data for Zambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is tax revenue as a proportion of gdp in Zambia?
Tax revenue as a proportion of gdp in Zambia was 16.8% in 2021, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest tax revenue as a proportion of gdp recorded in Zambia?
The highest recorded value was 16.8% in 2021.
What is the lowest tax revenue as a proportion of gdp recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was 11.7% in 2009.
How does Zambia rank for tax revenue as a proportion of gdp?
Zambia ranks 82nd out of 164 countries with data for 2021.
Is tax revenue as a proportion of gdp rising or falling in Zambia?
Over the last ten years it is up 14.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Zambia data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Tax revenue as a proportion of GDP (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Tax revenue as a proportion of GDP in Zambia. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/tax-revenue-as-a-proportion-of-gdp-percent/zambia/

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About this data

Indicator
Tax revenue as a proportion of GDP (%)
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
194 places, 3,662 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed