Tax revenue vs. Electoral Democracy Index in Zambia
Zambia: Tax revenue vs. Electoral Democracy Index was 0.497 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
0.497
Change on year
down 2.9%
World rank
88th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.525
in 2023
All-time low
0.038
in 1912
Years of data
115
1911–2025
Tax revenue vs. Electoral Democracy Index in Zambia, 1911–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for tax revenue vs. electoral democracy index in Zambia is 0.497, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.9% on the previous year and up 8.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, tax revenue vs. electoral democracy index in Zambia peaked at 0.525 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.038, in 1912.
That places Zambia 88th out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Tax revenue vs. Electoral Democracy Index in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1911 | 0.039 | — |
| 1912 | 0.038 | -2.6% |
| 1913 | 0.038 | +0.0% |
| 1914 | 0.038 | +0.0% |
| 1915 | 0.038 | +0.0% |
| 1916 | 0.038 | +0.0% |
| 1917 | 0.038 | +0.0% |
| 1918 | 0.038 | +0.0% |
| 1919 | 0.038 | +0.0% |
| 1920 | 0.038 | +0.0% |
| 1921 | 0.038 | +0.0% |
| 1922 | 0.038 | +0.0% |
| 1923 | 0.039 | +2.6% |
| 1924 | 0.041 | +5.1% |
| 1925 | 0.039 | -4.9% |
| 1926 | 0.064 | +64.1% |
| 1927 | 0.064 | +0.0% |
| 1928 | 0.064 | +0.0% |
| 1929 | 0.066 | +3.1% |
| 1930 | 0.068 | +3.0% |
| 1931 | 0.068 | +0.0% |
| 1932 | 0.068 | +0.0% |
| 1933 | 0.068 | +0.0% |
| 1934 | 0.068 | +0.0% |
| 1935 | 0.066 | -2.9% |
| 1936 | 0.066 | +0.0% |
| 1937 | 0.066 | +0.0% |
| 1938 | 0.064 | -3.0% |
| 1939 | 0.066 | +3.1% |
| 1940 | 0.067 | +1.5% |
| 1941 | 0.076 | +13.4% |
| 1942 | 0.074 | -2.6% |
| 1943 | 0.073 | -1.4% |
| 1944 | 0.069 | -5.5% |
| 1945 | 0.069 | +0.0% |
| 1946 | 0.07 | +1.4% |
| 1947 | 0.074 | +5.7% |
| 1948 | 0.088 | +18.9% |
| 1949 | 0.097 | +10.2% |
| 1950 | 0.096 | -1.0% |
| 1951 | 0.101 | +5.2% |
| 1952 | 0.101 | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 0.101 | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 0.105 | +4.0% |
| 1955 | 0.105 | +0.0% |
| 1956 | 0.105 | +0.0% |
| 1957 | 0.105 | +0.0% |
| 1958 | 0.107 | +1.9% |
| 1959 | 0.109 | +1.9% |
| 1960 | 0.115 | +5.5% |
| 1961 | 0.118 | +2.6% |
| 1962 | 0.125 | +5.9% |
| 1963 | 0.137 | +9.6% |
| 1964 | 0.227 | +65.7% |
| 1965 | 0.306 | +34.8% |
| 1966 | 0.307 | +0.3% |
| 1967 | 0.307 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 0.306 | -0.3% |
| 1969 | 0.286 | -6.5% |
| 1970 | 0.283 | -1.0% |
| 1971 | 0.258 | -8.8% |
| 1972 | 0.254 | -1.6% |
| 1973 | 0.209 | -17.7% |
| 1974 | 0.194 | -7.2% |
| 1975 | 0.194 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 0.193 | -0.5% |
| 1977 | 0.193 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 0.193 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 0.192 | -0.5% |
| 1980 | 0.192 | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 0.192 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 0.192 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 0.192 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 0.192 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 0.192 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 0.192 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 0.192 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 0.192 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 0.193 | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 0.217 | +12.4% |
| 1991 | 0.287 | +32.3% |
| 1992 | 0.439 | +53.0% |
| 1993 | 0.447 | +1.8% |
| 1994 | 0.482 | +7.8% |
| 1995 | 0.482 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 0.49 | +1.7% |
| 1997 | 0.478 | -2.4% |
| 1998 | 0.478 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 0.478 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 0.486 | +1.7% |
| 2001 | 0.489 | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 0.484 | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 0.484 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.484 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.498 | +2.9% |
| 2006 | 0.498 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.5 | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 0.51 | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 0.517 | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 0.514 | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 0.503 | -2.1% |
| 2012 | 0.503 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 0.485 | -3.6% |
| 2014 | 0.478 | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 0.458 | -4.2% |
| 2016 | 0.397 | -13.3% |
| 2017 | 0.36 | -9.3% |
| 2018 | 0.37 | +2.8% |
| 2019 | 0.358 | -3.2% |
| 2020 | 0.353 | -1.4% |
| 2021 | 0.421 | +19.3% |
| 2022 | 0.52 | +23.5% |
| 2023 | 0.525 | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 0.512 | -2.5% |
| 2025 | 0.497 | -2.9% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 0.497 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.3475, 1.4× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 0.497 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.317, 1.6× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Tax revenue vs. Electoral Democracy Index in Zambia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | +65.7% | 0.137 | 0.227 |
| 1926 | +64.1% | 0.039 | 0.064 |
| 1992 | +53.0% | 0.287 | 0.439 |
| 1965 | +34.8% | 0.227 | 0.306 |
| 1991 | +32.3% | 0.217 | 0.287 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 0.0381 | 0.038 | 0.039 | 9 |
| 1920s | 0.0491 | 0.038 | 0.066 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.0668 | 0.064 | 0.068 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.0757 | 0.067 | 0.097 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.1035 | 0.096 | 0.109 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.2234 | 0.115 | 0.307 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.2163 | 0.192 | 0.283 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1921 | 0.192 | 0.193 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.4278 | 0.217 | 0.49 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.495 | 0.484 | 0.517 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.4426 | 0.358 | 0.514 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.4713 | 0.353 | 0.525 | 6 |
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)
- 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)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0464 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is tax revenue vs. electoral democracy index in Zambia?
- Tax revenue vs. electoral democracy index in Zambia was 0.497 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest tax revenue vs. electoral democracy index recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 0.525 in 2023.
- What is the lowest tax revenue vs. electoral democracy index recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.038 in 1912.
- How does Zambia rank for tax revenue vs. electoral democracy index?
- Zambia ranks 88th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
- Is tax revenue vs. electoral democracy index rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Tax revenue vs. Electoral Democracy Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 115 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Central estimate of the extent to which political leaders are elected under comprehensive suffrage in free and fair elections, and freedoms of association and expression are guaranteed.