Zambia
Life expectancy in Zambia
Life expectancy in Zambia: 46.8 years in 1950 and 66.4 years in 2023, by UN estimates.
- Latest, 2023
- 66.4 years
- Since 1950
- +19.5 years
- Rank, 2023
- 192 of 229
- counting from the highest
- World, 2023
- 73.2 years
- Projected, 2100
- 77.3 years
- UN projection (medium variant)
years · UN
What the numbers say
- The UN projection (medium variant) puts it at 77.3 years in 2100, between 64.1 years and 87.6 years (95% prediction interval).
- The highest was 66.4 years in 2023, the lowest 45.7 years in 1998.
Every year
years · UN
| Year | Zambia | World |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 66.4 | 73.2 |
| 2022 | 65.3 | 72.6 |
| 2021 | 62.4 | 70.9 |
| 2020 | 63.4 | 71.9 |
| 2019 | 62.9 | 72.6 |
| 2018 | 62.1 | 72.4 |
| 2017 | 61.6 | 72.1 |
| 2016 | 61.1 | 71.9 |
| 2015 | 60.7 | 71.6 |
| 2014 | 60.1 | 71.4 |
| 2013 | 59.5 | 71.1 |
| 2012 | 58.7 | 70.8 |
| 2011 | 57.8 | 70.4 |
| 2010 | 56.9 | 70.1 |
| 2009 | 55.9 | 69.7 |
| 2008 | 54.8 | 69.3 |
| 2007 | 53.7 | 69 |
| 2006 | 52.7 | 68.6 |
| 2005 | 51.6 | 68.1 |
| 2004 | 50.5 | 67.7 |
| 2003 | 49.6 | 67.4 |
| 2002 | 48.5 | 67.1 |
| 2001 | 47.4 | 66.8 |
| 2000 | 46.6 | 66.4 |
| 1999 | 45.9 | 66 |
| 1998 | 45.7 | 65.7 |
| 1997 | 45.7 | 65.5 |
| 1996 | 45.8 | 65.2 |
| 1995 | 46.1 | 64.9 |
| 1994 | 46.3 | 64.3 |
| 1993 | 46.7 | 64.4 |
| 1992 | 47 | 64.3 |
| 1991 | 47.4 | 64.1 |
| 1990 | 48.2 | 64 |
| 1989 | 48.9 | 63.8 |
| 1988 | 49.7 | 63.4 |
| 1987 | 50.4 | 63.2 |
| 1986 | 51.2 | 62.7 |
| 1985 | 52 | 62.2 |
| 1984 | 52.9 | 61.9 |
| 1983 | 53.7 | 61.5 |
| 1982 | 54.4 | 61.3 |
| 1981 | 55 | 60.9 |
| 1980 | 55.5 | 60.5 |
| 1979 | 56.1 | 60.2 |
| 1978 | 56.3 | 59.5 |
| 1977 | 56.3 | 59.2 |
| 1976 | 56.1 | 58.6 |
| 1975 | 55.7 | 58.3 |
| 1974 | 55.4 | 58.1 |
| 1973 | 54.9 | 57.7 |
| 1972 | 54.4 | 57.2 |
| 1971 | 53.9 | 56 |
| 1970 | 53.4 | 56.3 |
| 1969 | 53 | 56 |
| 1968 | 52.7 | 55.6 |
| 1967 | 52.5 | 55.1 |
| 1966 | 52.3 | 54.6 |
| 1965 | 52.1 | 54 |
| 1964 | 51.2 | 54.3 |
| 1963 | 51.6 | 53.7 |
| 1962 | 51.3 | 53.2 |
| 1961 | 51 | 50.4 |
| 1960 | 50.7 | 47.8 |
| 1959 | 50.3 | 49.6 |
| 1958 | 49.9 | 51.6 |
| 1957 | 49.5 | 51.1 |
| 1956 | 49.1 | 50.7 |
| 1955 | 48.8 | 50.2 |
| 1954 | 48.4 | 49.7 |
| 1953 | 48 | 48.8 |
| 1952 | 47.6 | 48.2 |
| 1951 | 47.2 | 47.1 |
| 1950 | 46.8 | 46.4 |
UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100
| Year | Zambia | World |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 66.565.2–67.9 | 73.3 |
| 2025 | 66.764.8–68.8 | 73.5 |
| 2026 | 66.964.5–69.3 | 73.8 |
| 2027 | 67.164.3–69.8 | 73.9 |
| 2028 | 67.264.1–70.3 | 74.1 |
| 2029 | 67.464.1–70.7 | 74.2 |
| 2030 | 67.563.7–71.2 | 74.4 |
| 2031 | 67.763.7–71.5 | 74.5 |
| 2032 | 67.963.6–71.7 | 74.7 |
| 2033 | 6863.6–72.2 | 74.8 |
| 2034 | 68.263.4–72.6 | 75 |
| 2035 | 68.363.5–72.8 | 75.1 |
| 2036 | 68.563.3–73.2 | 75.3 |
| 2037 | 68.663.1–73.7 | 75.4 |
| 2038 | 68.863.1–74 | 75.5 |
| 2039 | 68.963.1–74.1 | 75.7 |
| 2040 | 69.163–74.5 | 75.8 |
| 2041 | 69.263.1–74.8 | 75.9 |
| 2042 | 69.463–75 | 76.1 |
| 2043 | 69.563–75.6 | 76.2 |
| 2044 | 69.663–75.7 | 76.3 |
| 2045 | 69.863–76 | 76.5 |
| 2046 | 69.963–76.2 | 76.6 |
| 2047 | 70.162.9–76.5 | 76.7 |
| 2048 | 70.263–76.8 | 76.8 |
| 2049 | 70.463.1–77.1 | 76.9 |
| 2050 | 70.562.9–77.4 | 77 |
| 2051 | 70.662.9–77.8 | 77.1 |
| 2052 | 70.863–77.8 | 77.2 |
| 2053 | 70.962.8–78.2 | 77.3 |
| 2054 | 71.162.8–78.5 | 77.4 |
| 2055 | 71.262.7–78.7 | 77.6 |
| 2056 | 71.362.7–78.9 | 77.7 |
| 2057 | 71.562.8–79.1 | 77.8 |
| 2058 | 71.663–79.5 | 77.9 |
| 2059 | 71.863.3–79.6 | 78 |
| 2060 | 71.963–79.9 | 78.1 |
| 2061 | 7263.2–80.1 | 78.2 |
| 2062 | 72.263.3–80.3 | 78.3 |
| 2063 | 72.363.3–80.5 | 78.4 |
| 2064 | 72.463–80.6 | 78.5 |
| 2065 | 72.662.7–80.8 | 78.6 |
| 2066 | 72.763.2–81.1 | 78.7 |
| 2067 | 72.863.2–81.3 | 78.8 |
| 2068 | 7363.4–81.5 | 78.9 |
| 2069 | 73.163.3–81.6 | 79 |
| 2070 | 73.363.3–81.8 | 79.1 |
| 2071 | 73.463.3–82 | 79.2 |
| 2072 | 73.563.3–82.3 | 79.3 |
| 2073 | 73.763.3–82.5 | 79.4 |
| 2074 | 73.863.2–82.4 | 79.4 |
| 2075 | 73.963.2–82.8 | 79.5 |
| 2076 | 74.163.1–83 | 79.6 |
| 2077 | 74.263.3–83.2 | 79.7 |
| 2078 | 74.363.3–83.7 | 79.8 |
| 2079 | 74.563.4–83.9 | 79.9 |
| 2080 | 74.663.4–84.2 | 80 |
| 2081 | 74.763.2–84.2 | 80.1 |
| 2082 | 74.963.2–84.2 | 80.2 |
| 2083 | 7563.1–84.3 | 80.3 |
| 2084 | 75.263.3–84.7 | 80.3 |
| 2085 | 75.363.5–84.9 | 80.4 |
| 2086 | 75.463.6–85 | 80.5 |
| 2087 | 75.663.4–85.3 | 80.6 |
| 2088 | 75.763–85.4 | 80.7 |
| 2089 | 75.963–85.5 | 80.8 |
| 2090 | 7662.9–85.8 | 80.9 |
| 2091 | 76.162.8–85.7 | 81 |
| 2092 | 76.363.3–86 | 81 |
| 2093 | 76.463.4–86.2 | 81.1 |
| 2094 | 76.563.5–86.3 | 81.2 |
| 2095 | 76.763.5–86.2 | 81.3 |
| 2096 | 76.863.4–86.6 | 81.4 |
| 2097 | 76.963.7–86.8 | 81.5 |
| 2098 | 77.164–87.1 | 81.6 |
| 2099 | 77.264.1–87.4 | 81.7 |
| 2100 | 77.364.1–87.6 | 81.7 |
Good to know
- How long a newborn would live on average if the year’s death rates held all its life.
- Source: UN DESA, World Population Prospects 2024.
- The dashed line is the UN projection (medium variant), a scenario rather than a forecast; the band is its 95% prediction interval.
- Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2023, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Zambia in numbers
Every measure for Zambia on one page
Health
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Military
- Military spending1.26% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollars$343M in 2025
- Military spending per person$19 in 2025
- Military share of state spending4.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnel16,000 people in 2020
- National power0.1% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workers0.24% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms imports1 million TIV in 2024
- Arms exports2 million TIV in 1990