Share of the population with access to electricity in Zambia
Zambia: Share of the population with access to electricity was 53.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of the population with access to electricity in Zambia, 1990–2024
Source: Data compiled from multiple sources by the World Bank – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of population.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 53.6% for share of the population with access to electricity in 2024. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
The figure is up 4.9% on the previous year and up 92.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population with access to electricity in Zambia peaked at 53.6% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 12.8%, in 1991.
Zambia ranks 196th of 214 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Share of the population with access to electricity 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% |
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
- Fuel imports 22.9% (2024)
- Ores and metals imports 4.0% (2024)
- Ores and metals exports 73.0% (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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population with access to electricity in Zambia?
- Share of the population with access to electricity in Zambia was 53.6% in 2024, according to Data compiled from multiple sources by the World Bank – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of the population with access to electricity recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 53.6% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of the population with access to electricity recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.8% in 1991.
- How does Zambia rank for share of the population with access to electricity?
- Zambia ranks 196th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of the population with 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 Data compiled from multiple sources by the World Bank – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population with access to electricity. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Access to electricity means having an electricity source that can provide very basic lighting, and charge a phone or power a radio for 4 hours per day.