Life expectancy in Zambia
Zambia: Life expectancy was 62.38 years in 2020. ▲ Rising
Life expectancy in Zambia, 1870–2020
Source: Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 62.38 years for life expectancy in 2020. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
The figure is up 9.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy in Zambia peaked at 62.38 years in 2020 and was at its lowest, 25 years, in 1870.
That places Zambia 140th out of 162 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Life expectancy in Zambia, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 25 years | — |
| 1880 | 25 years | +0.0% |
| 1890 | 25 years | +0.0% |
| 1900 | 25 years | +0.0% |
| 1913 | 25 years | +0.0% |
| 1925 | 25 years | +0.0% |
| 1929 | 28.87 years | +15.5% |
| 1933 | 33.38 years | +15.6% |
| 1938 | 36 years | +7.8% |
| 1950 | 37.85 years | +5.1% |
| 1955 | 40.35 years | +6.6% |
| 1960 | 41.78 years | +3.5% |
| 1965 | 44.26 years | +5.9% |
| 1970 | 46.49 years | +5.0% |
| 1975 | 48.51 years | +4.3% |
| 1980 | 51.93 years | +7.0% |
| 1985 | 52.1 years | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 47.93 years | -8.0% |
| 1995 | 45.55 years | -5.0% |
| 2000 | 45.23 years | -0.7% |
| 2005 | 50.66 years | +12.0% |
| 2010 | 56.8 years | +12.1% |
| 2015 | 61.21 years | +7.8% |
| 2020 | 62.38 years | +1.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 25 years | 25 years | 25 years | 1 |
| 1880s | 25 years | 25 years | 25 years | 1 |
| 1890s | 25 years | 25 years | 25 years | 1 |
| 1900s | 25 years | 25 years | 25 years | 1 |
| 1910s | 25 years | 25 years | 25 years | 1 |
| 1920s | 26.94 years | 25 years | 28.87 years | 2 |
| 1930s | 34.69 years | 33.38 years | 36 years | 2 |
| 1950s | 39.1 years | 37.85 years | 40.35 years | 2 |
| 1960s | 43.02 years | 41.78 years | 44.26 years | 2 |
| 1970s | 47.5 years | 46.49 years | 48.51 years | 2 |
| 1980s | 52.02 years | 51.93 years | 52.1 years | 2 |
| 1990s | 46.74 years | 45.55 years | 47.93 years | 2 |
| 2000s | 47.95 years | 45.23 years | 50.66 years | 2 |
| 2010s | 59 years | 56.8 years | 61.21 years | 2 |
| 2020s | 62.38 years | 62.38 years | 62.38 years | 1 |
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)
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate 1.6 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.2049 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate 1.61 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.2048 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy in Zambia?
- Life expectancy in Zambia was 62.38 years in 2020, according to Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 62.38 years in 2020.
- What is the lowest life expectancy recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 25 years in 1870.
- How does Zambia rank for life expectancy?
- Zambia ranks 140th out of 162 countries with data for 2020.
- Is life expectancy rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Average number of years a newborn would live if age-specific mortality rates in the current year were to stay the same throughout its life.