Employee compensation as share of government spending in Zambia
Zambia: Employee compensation as share of government spending was 28.0% in 2021. ▼ Falling
Employee compensation as share of government spending in Zambia, 1998–2021
Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of expense.
Analysis
In 2021, employee compensation as share of government spending in Zambia stood at 28.0%. That is the lowest value across all 23 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 13.7% on the previous year and down 33.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employee compensation as share of government spending in Zambia peaked at 49.1% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 28.0%, in 2021.
That places Zambia 67th out of 155 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.
Employee compensation as share of government spending in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % of expense | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 34.7% | — |
| 1999 | 31.1% | -10.4% |
| 2001 | 38.9% | +25.0% |
| 2002 | 43.8% | +12.6% |
| 2003 | 44.7% | +2.0% |
| 2004 | 38.8% | -13.3% |
| 2005 | 36.4% | -6.1% |
| 2006 | 37.6% | +3.3% |
| 2007 | 42.6% | +13.3% |
| 2008 | 40.2% | -5.8% |
| 2009 | 46.4% | +15.6% |
| 2010 | 44.8% | -3.4% |
| 2011 | 42.0% | -6.2% |
| 2012 | 49.1% | +16.9% |
| 2013 | 42.1% | -14.3% |
| 2014 | 45.4% | +7.8% |
| 2015 | 38.5% | -15.3% |
| 2016 | 38.5% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 38.9% | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 37.9% | -2.5% |
| 2019 | 33.9% | -10.7% |
| 2020 | 32.4% | -4.4% |
| 2021 | 28.0% | -13.7% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 28.0% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 31.8%, 88% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 28.0% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 36.9%, 76% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 32.9% | 31.1% | 34.7% | 2 |
| 2000s | 41.0% | 36.4% | 46.4% | 9 |
| 2010s | 41.1% | 33.9% | 49.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 30.2% | 28.0% | 32.4% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More work & labour data for Zambia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.5254 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.5224 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.5281 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 0.7611 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 3.24 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 25,577 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 15,424 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 32,895 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 31,579 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 64,474 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employee compensation as share of government spending in Zambia?
- Employee compensation as share of government spending in Zambia was 28.0% in 2021, according to International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employee compensation as share of government spending recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 49.1% in 2012.
- What is the lowest employee compensation as share of government spending recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.0% in 2021.
- How does Zambia rank for employee compensation as share of government spending?
- Zambia ranks 67th out of 155 countries with data for 2021.
- Is employee compensation as share of government spending rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 33.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Employee compensation as share of government spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Employee compensation includes wages, in-kind payments, and government contributions to social insurance schemes such as social security and pensions.