Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) in Zambia
Zambia: Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) was 66.35 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
66.35 years
Change on year
up 1.6%
World rank
178th
of 215 countries
All-time high
66.35 years
in 2023
All-time low
45.71 years
in 1998
Years of data
54
1970–2023
Life expectancy at birth, total in Zambia, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for life expectancy at birth, total in Zambia is 66.35 years, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 54 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 11.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth, total in Zambia peaked at 66.35 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 45.71 years, in 1998.
That places Zambia 178th out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 54 years of available data.
Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) in Zambia, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 53.4 years | — |
| 1971 | 53.89 years | +0.9% |
| 1972 | 54.38 years | +0.9% |
| 1973 | 54.91 years | +1.0% |
| 1974 | 55.38 years | +0.8% |
| 1975 | 55.74 years | +0.7% |
| 1976 | 56.1 years | +0.6% |
| 1977 | 56.28 years | +0.3% |
| 1978 | 56.34 years | +0.1% |
| 1979 | 56.05 years | -0.5% |
| 1980 | 55.5 years | -1.0% |
| 1981 | 54.99 years | -0.9% |
| 1982 | 54.36 years | -1.1% |
| 1983 | 53.67 years | -1.3% |
| 1984 | 52.88 years | -1.5% |
| 1985 | 52 years | -1.7% |
| 1986 | 51.15 years | -1.6% |
| 1987 | 50.42 years | -1.4% |
| 1988 | 49.67 years | -1.5% |
| 1989 | 48.88 years | -1.6% |
| 1990 | 48.2 years | -1.4% |
| 1991 | 47.44 years | -1.6% |
| 1992 | 46.97 years | -1.0% |
| 1993 | 46.68 years | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 46.34 years | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 46.05 years | -0.6% |
| 1996 | 45.76 years | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 45.74 years | -0.0% |
| 1998 | 45.71 years | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 45.92 years | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 46.58 years | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 47.41 years | +1.8% |
| 2002 | 48.46 years | +2.2% |
| 2003 | 49.62 years | +2.4% |
| 2004 | 50.54 years | +1.9% |
| 2005 | 51.62 years | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 52.69 years | +2.1% |
| 2007 | 53.73 years | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 54.84 years | +2.1% |
| 2009 | 55.89 years | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 56.9 years | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 57.84 years | +1.7% |
| 2012 | 58.7 years | +1.5% |
| 2013 | 59.45 years | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 60.11 years | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 60.73 years | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 61.13 years | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 61.56 years | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 62.14 years | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 62.91 years | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 63.36 years | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 62.36 years | -1.6% |
| 2022 | 65.28 years | +4.7% |
| 2023 | 66.35 years | +1.6% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 66.35 years is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 67.65 years, 98% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 66.35 years is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 64.1 years, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 55.25 years | 53.4 years | 56.34 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 52.35 years | 48.88 years | 55.5 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 46.48 years | 45.71 years | 48.2 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 51.14 years | 46.58 years | 55.89 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 60.15 years | 56.9 years | 62.91 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 64.34 years | 62.36 years | 66.35 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More population data for Zambia
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.5254 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.2495 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.5254 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.5112 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 37,460 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 2.52 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.2967 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate 0.516 (2100)
- Population density 86.73 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 4.60 million (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth, total in Zambia?
- Life expectancy at birth, total in Zambia was 66.35 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 66.35 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 45.71 years in 1998.
- How does Zambia rank for life expectancy at birth, total?
- Zambia ranks 178th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy at birth, total rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Life expectancy at birth, total (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release