Cholera case-fatality rate in Zambia

Zambia: Cholera case-fatality rate was 2.0% in 2019. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2019)
2.0%
Change on year
up 11.0%
World rank
19th
of 114 countries
All-time high
100.0%
in 1989
All-time low
0.0%
in 1981
Years of data
31
1978–2019

Cholera case-fatality rate in Zambia, 1978–2019

0204060801001978199820191978: 13.7 %1979: 91.7 %1980: 29.8 %1981: 0 %1982: 9.3 %1983: 8.2 %1989: 100 %1990: 8.5 %1991: 8.3 %1992: 7.8 %1993: 6.3 %1996: 1.9 %1997: 0 %1998: 0 %1999: 4 %2000: 6.7 %2001: 5.3 %2002: 3.5 %2003: 2.8 %2004: 3.1 %2005: 0.47 %2006: 3.4 %2007: 1.5 %2008: 1.9 %2009: 1.7 %2010: 0.91 %2011: 2.1 %2012: 1 %2017: 3.2 %2018: 1.8 %2019: 2 %

Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026); World Health Organization (2023) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Zambia recorded 2.0% for cholera case-fatality rate in 2019.

The figure is up 11.0% on the previous year and up 18.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, cholera case-fatality rate in Zambia peaked at 100.0% in 1989 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1981.

That places Zambia 19th out of 114 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 52.7% 13.7% 91.7% 2
1980s 29.5% 0.0% 100.0% 5
1990s 4.6% 0.0% 8.5% 8
2000s 3.0% 0.5% 6.7% 10
2010s 1.8% 0.9% 3.2% 6

Countries ranked near Zambia

  1. 16 Indonesia 2.7% compare
  2. 17 Romania 2.5% compare
  3. 18 Malaysia 2.5% compare
  4. 20 Benin 1.8% compare
  5. 21 Democratic Republic of Congo 1.7% compare
  6. 22 Laos 1.7% compare

See the full ranking of 114 places →

More health data for Zambia

All data for Zambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is cholera case-fatality rate in Zambia?
Cholera case-fatality rate in Zambia was 2.0% in 2019, according to World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026); World Health Organization (2023) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest cholera case-fatality rate recorded in Zambia?
The highest recorded value was 100.0% in 1989.
What is the lowest cholera case-fatality rate recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1981.
How does Zambia rank for cholera case-fatality rate?
Zambia ranks 19th out of 114 countries with data for 2019.
Is cholera case-fatality rate rising or falling in Zambia?
Over the last ten years it is up 18.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Zambia data come from?
The figures come from World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026); World Health Organization (2023) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Cholera case-fatality rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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CSV · JSON — 31 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Cholera case-fatality rate
Unit
%
Source
World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026); World Health Organization (2023) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
114 places, 2,413 data points, 1949–2021
Last refreshed

WHO calculates case fatality rates based on the numbers of cases and deaths as reported by national authorities. The case fatality rate is the number of reported deaths, divided by the number of reported cases, shown as a percentage.