Life expectancy at birth in Zambia
Zambia: Life expectancy at birth was 60.97 in 2021. ▲ Rising
Latest (2021)
60.97
Change on year
down 1.4%
World rank
171st
of 184 countries
All-time high
61.83
in 2020
All-time low
44.53
in 2000
Years of data
22
2000–2021
Life expectancy at birth in Zambia, 2000–2021
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 60.97 for life expectancy at birth in 2021.
The figure is down 1.4% on the previous year and up 5.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth in Zambia peaked at 61.83 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 44.53, in 2000.
That places Zambia 171st out of 184 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.
Life expectancy at birth in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 44.53 | — |
| 2001 | 44.99 | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 45.8 | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 47.1 | +2.8% |
| 2004 | 48.77 | +3.5% |
| 2005 | 50.26 | +3.1% |
| 2006 | 51.76 | +3.0% |
| 2007 | 53.58 | +3.5% |
| 2008 | 55.36 | +3.3% |
| 2009 | 56.62 | +2.3% |
| 2010 | 57.43 | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 58.02 | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 58.69 | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 59.36 | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 59.98 | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 60.41 | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 60.96 | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 61.29 | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 61.41 | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 61.76 | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 61.83 | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 60.97 | -1.4% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 60.97 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 66.81, 91% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 60.97 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 63.05, 97% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 49.88 | 44.53 | 56.62 | 10 |
| 2010s | 59.93 | 57.43 | 61.76 | 10 |
| 2020s | 61.4 | 60.97 | 61.83 | 2 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
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 life expectancy at birth in Zambia?
- Life expectancy at birth in Zambia was 60.97 in 2021, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 61.83 in 2020.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 44.53 in 2000.
- How does Zambia rank for life expectancy at birth?
- Zambia ranks 171st out of 184 countries with data for 2021.
- Is life expectancy at birth rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Life expectancy at birth (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 22 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO).