Health system composite index in Zambia
Zambia: Health system composite index was -0.4231 standard deviations from the yearly mean in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
-0.4231 standard deviations from the yearly mean
Change on year
up 27.9%
World rank
143rd
of 196 countries
All-time high
-0.2748 standard deviations from the yearly mean
in 1987
All-time low
-1.1 standard deviations from the yearly mean
in 2006
Years of data
48
1960–2024
Health system composite index in Zambia, 1960–2024
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in standard deviations from the yearly mean.
Analysis
Zambia recorded -0.4231 standard deviations from the yearly mean for health system composite index in 2024.
That represents a change of up 27.9% on the previous year and up 46.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, health system composite index in Zambia peaked at -0.2748 standard deviations from the yearly mean in 1987 and was at its lowest, -1.1 standard deviations from the yearly mean, in 2006.
Zambia ranks 143rd of 196 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 48 years of available data.
Health system composite index in Zambia, year by year
| Year | standard deviations from the yearly mean | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | -0.3921 standard deviations from the yearly mean | — |
| 1965 | -0.538 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +37.2% |
| 1970 | -0.4595 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -14.6% |
| 1975 | -0.3374 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -26.6% |
| 1980 | -0.8074 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +139.3% |
| 1981 | -0.6337 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -21.5% |
| 1983 | -0.5505 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -13.1% |
| 1984 | -0.3104 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -43.6% |
| 1985 | -0.6315 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +103.4% |
| 1986 | -0.6124 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -3.0% |
| 1987 | -0.2748 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -55.1% |
| 1988 | -0.3848 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +40.0% |
| 1989 | -0.5998 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +55.9% |
| 1990 | -0.6174 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +2.9% |
| 1991 | -0.7258 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +17.6% |
| 1992 | -0.6128 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -15.6% |
| 1993 | -0.5272 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -14.0% |
| 1994 | -0.4084 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -22.5% |
| 1995 | -0.92 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +125.3% |
| 1996 | -0.8518 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -7.4% |
| 1997 | -0.8666 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +1.7% |
| 1998 | -0.8548 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -1.4% |
| 1999 | -0.9191 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +7.5% |
| 2000 | -0.955 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +3.9% |
| 2001 | -0.9828 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +2.9% |
| 2002 | -0.9562 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -2.7% |
| 2003 | -0.9486 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -0.8% |
| 2004 | -0.9526 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +0.4% |
| 2005 | -1.06 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +11.6% |
| 2006 | -1.1 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +3.7% |
| 2007 | -0.6328 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -42.6% |
| 2008 | -0.8603 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +35.9% |
| 2009 | -0.8272 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -3.9% |
| 2010 | -0.6477 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -21.7% |
| 2011 | -0.9448 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +45.9% |
| 2012 | -1 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +6.3% |
| 2013 | -1.06 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +5.3% |
| 2014 | -0.7838 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -25.9% |
| 2015 | -0.5709 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -27.2% |
| 2016 | -0.6085 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +6.6% |
| 2017 | -0.3004 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -50.6% |
| 2018 | -0.6159 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +105.0% |
| 2019 | -0.6401 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +3.9% |
| 2020 | -0.495 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -22.7% |
| 2021 | -0.6376 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +28.8% |
| 2022 | -0.5786 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -9.3% |
| 2023 | -0.5871 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +1.5% |
| 2024 | -0.4231 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -27.9% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's -0.4231 standard deviations from the yearly mean is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is -0.5991 standard deviations from the yearly mean, 71% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zambia's -0.4231 standard deviations from the yearly mean is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is -0.9444 standard deviations from the yearly mean, 45% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -0.4651 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -0.538 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -0.3921 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 2 |
| 1970s | -0.3984 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -0.4595 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -0.3374 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 2 |
| 1980s | -0.5339 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -0.8074 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -0.2748 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 9 |
| 1990s | -0.7304 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -0.92 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -0.4084 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 10 |
| 2000s | -0.9281 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -1.1 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -0.6328 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 10 |
| 2010s | -0.7175 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -1.06 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -0.3004 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.5443 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -0.6376 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -0.4231 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 140 Marshall Islands -0.3835 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare
- 141 Pakistan -0.4059 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare
- 142 Ghana -0.4086 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare
- 144 Suriname -0.4608 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare
- 145 Philippines -0.4749 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare
- 146 Azerbaijan -0.4763 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare
More health data for Zambia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.09 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.7971 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 809.3 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 8,894 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.68 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0743 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.69 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is health system composite index in Zambia?
- Health system composite index in Zambia was -0.4231 standard deviations from the yearly mean in 2024, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest health system composite index recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was -0.2748 standard deviations from the yearly mean in 1987.
- What is the lowest health system composite index recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.1 standard deviations from the yearly mean in 2006.
- How does Zambia rank for health system composite index?
- Zambia ranks 143rd out of 196 countries with data for 2024.
- Is health system composite index rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 46.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Health system composite index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 48 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
An equal-weighted index of 4 indicators: Life expectancy at birth, total; Physicians per 1000 people; Hospital beds per 1000 people; Immunization, measles. Each is standardised against that year's spread across all reporting countries before averaging, so a score of 0 is the average country and +1 is one standard deviation above it.
Equal-weighted mean of the standardised inputs below.
Computed from
- Life expectancy at birth, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
- Medical doctors per 1,000 people World Health Organization (Global Health Workforce Statistics), OECD, and country data, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
- Hospital beds per 1,000 people World Health Organization (WHO) data, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
- Immunization, measles World Health Organization (WHO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
An equal-weighted index of 4 indicators: Life expectancy at birth, total; Physicians per 1000 people; Hospital beds per 1000 people; Immunization, measles. Each is standardised against that year's spread across all reporting countries before averaging, so a score of 0 is the average country and +1 is one standard deviation above it.