Zambia among Africa’s 10 most improved countries in governance, report says

Zambia has improved its governance ranking in Africa, moving from 21st to 15th position among 54 countries, according to the 2026 Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG).

The country scored 58.4 points out of 100, representing a 5.1-point improvement over the 10-year period from 2016 to 2025 and placing it among the 10 most improved countries on the continent.

The index, launched by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation on October 31, 2026, assesses governance performance across African countries, covering areas such as participation, rights, security, rule of law and economic opportunities.

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According to the report, Zambia’s strongest improvement was recorded in citizen participation, where it gained 15.5 points since 2016, the largest increase among African countries.

“The improvement was particularly evident following the August 2021 general election,” the report stated.

Zambia also recorded a 9.5-point increase in the Rights category and rose from 29th to 10th position in Africa in the Absence of Civil Society Repression category.

The country also ranked first in Africa in Rights and Civil Liberties for Women.

In economic governance and access to services, Zambia recorded the continent’s largest improvement in Rural Market Access, with a 45.3-point increase over the review period.

Access to mobile money accounts also improved by 47.5 points, indicating increased access to digital financial services.

However, the report highlighted weaknesses in infrastructure, with citizens’ satisfaction declining by 30.4 points during the period under review.

The decline points to a gap between improvements in some governance indicators and citizens’ experiences with public infrastructure.

The index further indicated that Zambia’s governance performance had improved at a faster pace since 2021, recording a 6.4-point increase during the period.

Overall, the findings show that Zambia has made progress in political participation, civil liberties and economic access, although infrastructure satisfaction remains a challenge.

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