Taxes on incomes of individuals and corporations as share of GDP in Zambia
Zambia: Taxes on incomes of individuals and corporations as share of GDP was 7.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Taxes on incomes of individuals and corporations as share of GDP in Zambia, 1985–2023
Source: UNU-WIDER Government Revenue Dataset (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 7.9% for taxes on incomes of individuals and corporations as share of gdp in 2023.
That represents a change of down 18.2% on the previous year and up 22.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, taxes on incomes of individuals and corporations as share of gdp in Zambia peaked at 9.7% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 5.0%, in 1993.
That places Zambia 60th out of 184 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 31 years of available data.
Taxes on incomes of individuals and corporations as share of GDP in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 7.5% | — |
| 1986 | 8.9% | +18.3% |
| 1987 | 7.3% | -18.1% |
| 1988 | 5.9% | -19.9% |
| 1989 | 6.8% | +16.0% |
| 1990 | 7.1% | +4.6% |
| 1991 | 6.0% | -15.7% |
| 1992 | 6.0% | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 5.0% | -15.8% |
| 1994 | 5.5% | +9.0% |
| 1995 | 5.8% | +5.7% |
| 1996 | 5.6% | -2.6% |
| 1997 | 5.8% | +2.5% |
| 2002 | 6.8% | +16.9% |
| 2003 | 7.0% | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 6.8% | -2.2% |
| 2005 | 6.6% | -3.4% |
| 2006 | 6.4% | -2.4% |
| 2007 | 6.8% | +5.7% |
| 2008 | 7.0% | +2.4% |
| 2009 | 6.6% | -5.9% |
| 2010 | 7.5% | +14.9% |
| 2011 | 9.3% | +24.0% |
| 2012 | 7.8% | -16.2% |
| 2013 | 6.5% | -17.1% |
| 2018 | 7.4% | +13.8% |
| 2019 | 7.9% | +7.3% |
| 2020 | 8.8% | +11.4% |
| 2021 | 9.5% | +7.8% |
| 2022 | 9.7% | +2.0% |
| 2023 | 7.9% | -18.2% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 7.9% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.4%, 1.5× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 7.9% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.7%, 1.7× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 7.3% | 5.9% | 8.9% | 5 |
| 1990s | 5.8% | 5.0% | 7.1% | 8 |
| 2000s | 6.7% | 6.4% | 7.0% | 8 |
| 2010s | 7.7% | 6.5% | 9.3% | 6 |
| 2020s | 9.0% | 7.9% | 9.7% | 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)
- 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 taxes on incomes of individuals and corporations as share of gdp in Zambia?
- Taxes on incomes of individuals and corporations as share of gdp in Zambia was 7.9% in 2023, according to UNU-WIDER Government Revenue Dataset (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest taxes on incomes of individuals and corporations as share of gdp recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 9.7% in 2022.
- What is the lowest taxes on incomes of individuals and corporations as share of gdp recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.0% in 1993.
- How does Zambia rank for taxes on incomes of individuals and corporations as share of gdp?
- Zambia ranks 60th out of 184 countries with data for 2023.
- Is taxes on incomes of individuals and corporations as share of gdp rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 22.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from UNU-WIDER Government Revenue Dataset (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Taxes on incomes of individuals and corporations as share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Tax revenue on incomes, profits and capital gains divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.