Access to electricity (% of population) in Zambia
Zambia: Access to electricity (% of population) was 53.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Access to electricity in Zambia, 1990–2024
Source: SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of population.
Analysis
In 2024, access to electricity in Zambia stood at 53.6%. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of up 4.9% on the previous year and up 92.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, access to electricity in Zambia peaked at 53.6% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 12.8%, in 1991.
Zambia ranks 199th of 217 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Access to electricity (% of population) in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 13.9% | — |
| 1991 | 12.8% | -8.3% |
| 1992 | 19.2% | +50.6% |
| 1993 | 14.2% | -26.0% |
| 1994 | 14.9% | +5.1% |
| 1995 | 15.7% | +4.9% |
| 1996 | 17.3% | +10.4% |
| 1997 | 17.1% | -1.1% |
| 1998 | 19.0% | +11.0% |
| 1999 | 18.5% | -2.4% |
| 2000 | 16.7% | -9.9% |
| 2001 | 20.2% | +21.0% |
| 2002 | 17.4% | -13.9% |
| 2003 | 18.5% | +6.3% |
| 2004 | 20.3% | +9.7% |
| 2005 | 23.3% | +14.8% |
| 2006 | 24.1% | +3.4% |
| 2007 | 18.5% | -23.2% |
| 2008 | 25.7% | +38.9% |
| 2009 | 26.6% | +3.5% |
| 2010 | 22.0% | -17.3% |
| 2011 | 28.3% | +28.6% |
| 2012 | 29.2% | +3.2% |
| 2013 | 30.1% | +3.1% |
| 2014 | 27.9% | -7.3% |
| 2015 | 31.1% | +11.5% |
| 2016 | 35.4% | +13.8% |
| 2017 | 40.3% | +13.8% |
| 2018 | 40.2% | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 43.0% | +7.0% |
| 2020 | 44.6% | +3.7% |
| 2021 | 46.7% | +4.7% |
| 2022 | 47.8% | +2.4% |
| 2023 | 51.1% | +6.9% |
| 2024 | 53.6% | +4.9% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 53.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 88.7%, 60% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 53.6% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 57.8%, 93% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 16.3% | 12.8% | 19.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 21.1% | 16.7% | 26.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 32.8% | 22.0% | 43.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 48.8% | 44.6% | 53.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More energy & mining data for Zambia
- Ores and metals imports 4.0% (2024)
- Gas production 0 terawatt-hours (2024)
- Fossil fuel production per person, by fuel 0 kilowatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel 0 terawatt-hours (2024)
- Gas production per person 0 kilowatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Gas production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Gas production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary energy use, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is access to electricity in Zambia?
- Access to electricity in Zambia was 53.6% in 2024, according to SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest access to electricity recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 53.6% in 2024.
- What is the lowest access to electricity recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.8% in 1991.
- How does Zambia rank for access to electricity?
- Zambia ranks 199th out of 217 countries with data for 2024.
- Is access to electricity rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 92.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank (WB), published as part of Access to electricity (% of population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Access to electricity is the percentage of population with access to electricity. Electrification data are collected from industry, national surveys and international sources.