Trade in services (% of GDP) in Zambia
Zambia: Trade in services (% of GDP) was 12.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Trade in services in Zambia, 1978–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, trade in services in Zambia stood at 12.4%.
The figure is down 6.7% on the previous year and up 15.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, trade in services in Zambia peaked at 20.7% in 1980 and was at its lowest, 7.2%, in 2010.
That places Zambia 149th out of 200 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 43 years of available data.
Trade in services (% of GDP) in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 18.5% | — |
| 1979 | 17.0% | -7.9% |
| 1980 | 20.7% | +21.2% |
| 1981 | 18.4% | -11.0% |
| 1982 | 13.7% | -25.5% |
| 1983 | 13.0% | -4.9% |
| 1984 | 13.5% | +3.3% |
| 1985 | 14.3% | +6.4% |
| 1986 | 14.8% | +3.1% |
| 1987 | 12.0% | -19.1% |
| 1988 | 9.3% | -22.1% |
| 1989 | 13.2% | +42.3% |
| 1990 | 15.0% | +13.1% |
| 1991 | 13.2% | -11.9% |
| 1997 | 9.1% | -30.7% |
| 1998 | 10.8% | +17.6% |
| 1999 | 12.1% | +12.7% |
| 2000 | 12.5% | +3.1% |
| 2001 | 12.5% | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 11.7% | -6.3% |
| 2003 | 11.6% | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 10.9% | -5.9% |
| 2005 | 11.5% | +5.7% |
| 2006 | 8.4% | -26.9% |
| 2007 | 10.7% | +27.0% |
| 2008 | 8.1% | -24.3% |
| 2009 | 7.8% | -3.5% |
| 2010 | 7.2% | -8.1% |
| 2011 | 7.5% | +4.1% |
| 2012 | 9.1% | +21.6% |
| 2013 | 9.2% | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 9.2% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 10.8% | +17.4% |
| 2016 | 10.9% | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 9.0% | -16.8% |
| 2018 | 10.0% | +10.6% |
| 2019 | 10.9% | +9.2% |
| 2020 | 9.0% | -17.5% |
| 2021 | 8.3% | -8.1% |
| 2022 | 9.7% | +16.9% |
| 2023 | 9.7% | -0.2% |
| 2024 | 13.3% | +37.9% |
| 2025 | 12.4% | -6.7% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 12.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 13.8%, 90% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 12.4% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 12.7%, 98% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 17.8% | 17.0% | 18.5% | 2 |
| 1980s | 14.3% | 9.3% | 20.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 12.0% | 9.1% | 15.0% | 5 |
| 2000s | 10.6% | 7.8% | 12.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.4% | 7.2% | 10.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.4% | 8.3% | 13.3% | 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 trade in services in Zambia?
- Trade in services in Zambia was 12.4% in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest trade in services recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 20.7% in 1980.
- What is the lowest trade in services recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.2% in 2010.
- How does Zambia rank for trade in services?
- Zambia ranks 149th out of 200 countries with data for 2025.
- Is trade in services rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Trade in services (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total trade in services includes services provided by residents to non-residents plus services provided by non-residents to residents. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.