Fiatmap

MacroZambia

Government debt in Zambia

How indebted is the state my taxes would go to?

Zambia's government debt is 86.00 % — #100 of 124 countries on the atlas (lower is better). Period 2025.

86.00%

Checked 8 Sept 2026Period 2025

Source: IMF World Economic Outlook (general government gross debt, % of GDP)

The central government owes about 0.9 years' worth of the country's entire economic output.

Government debt in Zambia over time

261.00 %139.95 %18.90 %261.00 % · 200018.90 % · 20102000: 261.00 %2001: 210.20 %2002: 180.20 %2003: 159.50 %2004: 129.90 %2005: 75.70 %2006: 25.00 %2007: 21.90 %2008: 19.20 %2009: 20.50 %2010: 18.90 %2011: 20.80 %2012: 24.90 %2013: 25.90 %2014: 33.90 %2015: 61.90 %2016: 61.20 %2017: 66.60 %2018: 81.20 %2019: 103.30 %2020: 140.00 %2021: 111.00 %2022: 99.50 %2023: 129.10 %2024: 125.20 %2025: 86.00 %20002012202586.00 %
26 official observations, 2000 → 2025. Every point is a published value — never interpolated.
Rank
#100 of 124
lower is better
Ranked behind
19 %
24 of 124 countries
Latest move
▼ 39.20 pp
since 2024
Below its peak
175.00 pp
peak 261.00 % in 2000
Full series
▼ 175.00 pp
since 2000

In Africa: #17 of 20vs median 54.55 %: +31.45 pp (worse)

Among 124 countries

5 of 124 countries between 12.30 % and 17.86 %4 of 124 countries between 17.86 % and 23.42 %9 of 124 countries between 23.42 % and 28.97 %9 of 124 countries between 28.97 % and 34.53 %9 of 124 countries between 34.53 % and 40.09 %11 of 124 countries between 40.09 % and 45.65 %8 of 124 countries between 45.65 % and 51.21 %11 of 124 countries between 51.21 % and 56.77 %8 of 124 countries between 56.77 % and 62.32 %7 of 124 countries between 62.32 % and 67.88 %6 of 124 countries between 67.88 % and 73.44 %5 of 124 countries between 73.44 % and 79.00 %6 of 124 countries between 79.00 % and 84.56 %7 of 124 countries between 84.56 % and 90.12 %2 of 124 countries between 90.12 % and 95.67 %3 of 124 countries between 95.67 % and 101.23 %4 of 124 countries between 101.23 % and 106.79 %1 of 124 countries between 106.79 % and 112.35 %2 of 124 countries between 112.35 % and 117.91 %1 of 124 countries between 123.47 % and 129.02 %2 of 124 countries between 134.58 % and 140.14 %4 of 124 countries between 140.14 % and 145.70 %median 54.40 %Zambia: ahead of 19 % of the 124 countries with a published government debtZambia 86.00 %12.30 %145.70 %
Half of all 124 countries sit between 36.00 % and 80.30 %. Zambia is ahead of 19 % of them. Axis trimmed to the 2nd–98th percentile; 5 values beyond it sit in the end bars.

The neighbourhood

#CountryGovernment debtvs Zambia
98 Trinidad and Tobago84.20 %−1.80 pp
99 Bolivia84.80 %−1.20 pp
100 Zambia86.00 %—
101 Mauritius86.50 %+0.50 pp
102 Egypt86.80 %+0.80 pp

General government gross debt as a share of GDP (IMF World Economic Outlook, annual).

How to read this figure

Central government debt as a share of GDP (World Bank). General government debt (including local government and social funds) can be meaningfully higher; comparisons across countries are indicative.

Next, about Zambia

Debt per personGDP growthInflation rate
Government debt, all countries ranked →Compare Zambia with another country →Everything about Zambia →
Did this answer your question?