🇿🇲 Zambia: Politics & Democracy
Only partially — Zambia's V-Dem liberal democracy score of 37.5 (0–100 scale) puts it in hybrid territory: some electoral competition exists, but liberal-democratic checks are weak.
Current leaders
Hakainde Hichilema
Head of State · United Party for National Development
Edgar Lungu
Head of Government · Patriotic Front
Democracy trend
Upcoming elections
2026 Zambian general election
2026-08-13T00:00:00Z2026 Zambian parliamentary election
2026-08-31T00:00:00ZVoting alignment
Zambia's closest UN General Assembly voting partners since 1946:
Frequently asked questions
Is Zambia a democracy?
Only partially — Zambia's V-Dem liberal democracy score of 37.5 (0–100 scale) puts it in hybrid territory: some electoral competition exists, but liberal-democratic checks are weak. It ranks #84 of 179 countries in 2025.
Is democracy in Zambia improving or declining?
Zambia's V-Dem liberal democracy score has improved by 0.4 points over the past decade, standing at 37.5 in 2025 (1-year change: −1.5).
Who leads Zambia?
Hakainde Hichilema is Zambia's head of state (United Party for National Development); Edgar Lungu serves as head of government (Patriotic Front).
When is the next election in Zambia?
2026 Zambian general election is scheduled for 2026-08-13T00:00:00Z.