Total natural resources rents in Zambia

Zambia: Total natural resources rents was 35.3% in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
35.3%
Change on year
up 117.4%
World rank
5th
of 214 countries
All-time high
38.7%
in 1973
All-time low
5.1%
in 1993
Years of data
52
1970–2021

Total natural resources rents in Zambia, 1970–2021

10203040197019952021

Source: The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

Zambia recorded 35.3% for total natural resources rents in 2021.

The figure is up 117.4% on the previous year and up 102.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, total natural resources rents in Zambia peaked at 38.7% in 1973 and was at its lowest, 5.1%, in 1993.

That places Zambia 5th out of 214 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Total natural resources rents in Zambia, year by year

Annual values for Total natural resources rents (% of GDP) in Zambia, 1970 to 2021.
Year % of GDP Change
1970 36.5%
1971 23.7% -35.0%
1972 20.6% -13.0%
1973 38.7% +87.7%
1974 31.8% -18.0%
1975 12.7% -59.9%
1976 16.2% +27.3%
1977 14.0% -13.8%
1978 10.2% -27.4%
1979 17.1% +68.2%
1980 16.9% -1.4%
1981 9.3% -45.0%
1982 6.6% -28.8%
1983 9.2% +40.0%
1984 6.6% -28.0%
1985 7.9% +18.3%
1986 7.6% -3.9%
1987 10.4% +37.3%
1988 18.6% +79.1%
1989 21.1% +13.8%
1990 21.0% -0.8%
1991 5.8% -72.3%
1992 5.8% +0.1%
1993 5.1% -12.6%
1994 5.5% +7.5%
1995 7.2% +32.2%
1996 7.4% +2.4%
1997 5.8% -21.9%
1998 7.4% +27.6%
1999 5.2% -29.5%
2000 9.1% +75.4%
2001 6.9% -24.2%
2002 8.6% +24.1%
2003 12.6% +47.3%
2004 13.8% +9.0%
2005 14.1% +2.4%
2006 19.2% +36.2%
2007 21.8% +13.5%
2008 16.1% -26.3%
2009 16.8% +4.6%
2010 18.7% +11.1%
2011 17.4% -6.6%
2012 13.6% -22.1%
2013 12.0% -11.4%
2014 10.8% -9.8%
2015 11.2% +2.9%
2016 11.7% +4.6%
2017 13.2% +13.3%
2018 11.7% -11.2%
2019 7.9% -32.6%
2020 16.2% +105.0%
2021 35.3% +117.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 22.1% 10.2% 38.7% 10
1980s 11.4% 6.6% 21.1% 10
1990s 7.6% 5.1% 21.0% 10
2000s 13.9% 6.9% 21.8% 10
2010s 12.8% 7.9% 18.7% 10
2020s 25.7% 16.2% 35.3% 2

Countries ranked near Zambia

  1. 2 Iraq 43.4% compare
  2. 3 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 38.8% compare
  3. 4 Congo 37.7% compare
  4. 6 Timor-Leste 34.7% compare
  5. 7 Guyana 33.7% compare
  6. 8 Mongolia 33.1% compare

See the full ranking of 262 places →

More energy & mining data for Zambia

All data for Zambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is total natural resources rents in Zambia?
Total natural resources rents in Zambia was 35.3% in 2021, according to The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank (WB).
What is the highest total natural resources rents recorded in Zambia?
The highest recorded value was 38.7% in 1973.
What is the lowest total natural resources rents recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was 5.1% in 1993.
How does Zambia rank for total natural resources rents?
Zambia ranks 5th out of 214 countries with data for 2021.
Is total natural resources rents rising or falling in Zambia?
Over the last ten years it is up 102.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Zambia data come from?
The figures come from The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank (WB), published as part of Total natural resources rents (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Total natural resources rents in Zambia. Statizoid, drawing on The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank (WB). Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://energy.statizoid.com/stat/total-natural-resources-rents-percent-of-gdp/zambia/

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About this data

Indicator
Total natural resources rents (% of GDP)
Unit
% of GDP
Source
The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank (WB)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
262 places, 11,682 data points, 1970–2021
Last refreshed

Total natural resources rents are the sum of oil rents, natural gas rents, coal rents (hard and soft), mineral rents, and forest rents.