Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population) in Zambia
Zambia: Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population) was 41.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of undernourishment in Zambia, 2001–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in % of population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for prevalence of undernourishment in Zambia is 41.0%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.5% on the previous year and up 9.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of undernourishment in Zambia peaked at 50.3% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 31.5%, in 2018.
That places Zambia 5th out of 171 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population) in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 50.3% | — |
| 2002 | 50.1% | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 50.1% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 49.5% | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 49.4% | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 48.1% | -2.6% |
| 2007 | 46.8% | -2.7% |
| 2008 | 45.6% | -2.6% |
| 2009 | 44.9% | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 43.8% | -2.4% |
| 2011 | 42.8% | -2.3% |
| 2012 | 41.0% | -4.2% |
| 2013 | 39.1% | -4.6% |
| 2014 | 37.3% | -4.6% |
| 2015 | 35.1% | -5.9% |
| 2016 | 33.4% | -4.8% |
| 2017 | 31.8% | -4.8% |
| 2018 | 31.5% | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 32.1% | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 33.9% | +5.6% |
| 2021 | 35.7% | +5.3% |
| 2022 | 35.4% | -0.8% |
| 2023 | 38.5% | +8.8% |
| 2024 | 41.0% | +6.5% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 41.0% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 11.1%, 3.7× the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 41.0% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 18.8%, 2.2× the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 48.3% | 44.9% | 50.3% | 9 |
| 2010s | 36.8% | 31.5% | 43.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 36.9% | 33.9% | 41.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 2 Haiti 51.4% compare
- 3 North Korea 47.0% compare
- 4 Madagascar 41.8% compare
- 6 Syria 40.8% compare
- 7 Democratic Republic of Congo 39.5% compare
- 8 Liberia 37.3% 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)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 8,894 (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)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0744 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of undernourishment in Zambia?
- Prevalence of undernourishment in Zambia was 41.0% in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 50.3% in 2001.
- What is the lowest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 31.5% in 2018.
- How does Zambia rank for prevalence of undernourishment?
- Zambia ranks 5th out of 171 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of undernourishment rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Prevalence of undernourishment is the percentage of the population whose habitual food consumption is insufficient to provide the dietary energy levels that are required to maintain a normal active and healthy life. Data showing as 2.5 may signify a prevalence of undernourishment below 2.5%.