Life expectancy at birth, total in Zambia
Zambia: Life expectancy at birth, total was 66.35 years in 2023. β² Rising
Life expectancy at birth, total in Zambia, 1970β2023
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 177th out of 212 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.
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 growth rate by level of development 0.516 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 4.60 million (2100)
- Population density 86.73 (2100)
- Population growth rate 0.516 (2100)
- Fertility and wanted fertility 4.04 (2024)
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum 79,275 (2024)
- Fertility vs unmet contraception 4.04 (2024)
- Fertility vs contraception 4.04 (2024)
- Natural population growth 2.79 (2023)
- Fertility rate with projections 4.1 (2023)
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 177th out of 212 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 Β· JSON β 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release