Research & development spending as a share of GDP in Zambia
Zambia: Research & development spending as a share of GDP was 0.3% in 2008. ◆ Volatile
Research & development spending as a share of GDP in Zambia, 1996–2008
Source: UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for research & development spending as a share of gdp in Zambia is 0.3%, measured in 2008. That is the highest value across all 7 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1,015.9% on the previous year and up 3,674.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, research & development spending as a share of gdp in Zambia peaked at 0.3% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 2002.
That places Zambia 79th out of 116 countries with data for 2008, putting it in the middle of the range.
Research & development spending as a share of GDP in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 0.0% | — |
| 1997 | 0.0% | -33.2% |
| 2002 | 0.0% | -26.2% |
| 2003 | 0.0% | +55.7% |
| 2004 | 0.0% | +162.5% |
| 2005 | 0.0% | +12.1% |
| 2008 | 0.3% | +1015.9% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 0.3% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.2%, 1.7× the median. (17 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 0.3% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.3%, 1.1× the median. (15 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 2000s | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More science & technology data for Zambia
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 108.7 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 1.09 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per unit of GDP 0.0009 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, gaps filled 23.17 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 28.45 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate 6.51 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 9.55 % change on previous year (2024)
- Scientific and technical journal articles 367.3 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is research & development spending as a share of gdp in Zambia?
- Research & development spending as a share of gdp in Zambia was 0.3% in 2008, according to UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest research & development spending as a share of gdp recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 0.3% in 2008.
- What is the lowest research & development spending as a share of gdp recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 2002.
- How does Zambia rank for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
- Zambia ranks 79th out of 116 countries with data for 2008.
- Is research & development spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3,674.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Research & development spending as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 7 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Includes basic research, applied research, and experimental development.