Zambia

Eastern Africa

Africa

A very low-cost East African economy with English as a working language and a 5-year citizenship path, but a weak passport (~64 destinations) and high personal taxes.

Overall score

Limited · Penalty applied · 95% data coverage

Language

English

Currency

ZMW

Citizenship

5 years

Personal tax

Up to 37% headline

Cost of living

Consumer price level 33 (world = 100, 2025)

Rules change often. Confirm any immigration, tax or legal decision with a qualified professional.

Score breakdown

Access

17%

41Residence12%

56Citizenship and passport5%

Earning power

25%

44Salary and work12%

46Buying power13%

Business and wealth

20%

32Taxes7%

38Business8%

37Investment5%

Daily life

25%

46Quality of life18%

44Education7%

Rights and institutions

13%

58Freedom6%

40Rule of law7%

Healthcare collapse (34) cut the overall score from 44 to 41.

Pros

Relative affordability score 83/100
Human development score 60/100
Business environment score 35/100

Cons

Tax friendliness score 32/100
Passport mobility score 33/100
Institutional environment score 42/100

Best for

English-speaking applicantsCost-conscious residentsPeople with a confirmed local employment or study route

Score profile

Access

Residence

Citizenship

Passport

Earning power

Salary & work

Buying power

Cost of living

Economy

Business and wealth

Taxes

Personal tax

Corporate tax

Business

Investment

Wealth building

Daily life

Safety

Healthcare

Environment

Infrastructure

Education

HDI

Rights and institutions

Freedom

Rule of law

How the scores are calculated

Access

Residence

Openness to residents

Limited

Migrant stock1.2% of population (2024)

Regulatory quality-0.42 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Main pathways

Employment residenceStudy residenceFamily reunificationBusiness or investment residence where eligible

Student	Admission, proof of funds, accommodation, insurance, and immigration approval are normally required; work rights vary.
Work	A local employer, qualifying occupation, or other work authorization is normally required; labour-market tests may apply.
Self-employed	Business registration, tax registration, and a residence or work authorization suitable for self-employment are generally required.
Permanent	Eligibility depends on years and continuity of lawful residence, route, income, character, and country-specific legislation.

Citizenship

Citizenship accessibility

Good

Years required	5 years
Dual allowed	Yes
Language	Language, integration, character, and documentation requirements depend on the nationality law and route.
Residence	Headline ordinary naturalization period: 5 years. Continuous residence and absence rules may apply.
Notes	This is a statutory headline from a sourced comparison table. Confirm the current nationality law and administrative practice before relying on it.

Passport

Passport power

Limited

70 / 198

Mobility

#72

Global rank

Yes

Biometric

Visa-free27
On arrival41
eTA2
Visa required128

Placeholder estimates for 2024 to 2025. Check entry rules with each destination before travelling.

Earning power

Salary & work

Labour-market strength

Limited

Output per worker$10,874 PPP (2024)

Unemployment5.9% (2025)

Participation61.9% of 15+ (2025)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Mean monthly earnings of employees

Overall$96 · $330 PPP (2024)

Tech (IT & comms)$84 · $290 PPP (2024)

Source: ILOSTAT (International Labour Organization)

Freelance	Internet use is 17%; remote and freelance access still depends on payments, language, regulation, and immigration status.
Job market	Latest comparable unemployment rate: 5.9%. Role-specific demand varies substantially by city and sector.

Buying power

Purchasing power score

Moderate

GNI / person$3,990 PPP (2025)

Consumption / person$1,918 PPP (2024)

Price level33 (US = 100) (2025)

Income inequality51.5 Gini (2022)

Inflation13.9% / yr (2025)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Cost of living

Affordability

Excellent

Price level33 (US = 100) (2025)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Rent	Model benchmark: about $200 monthly housing share; derived from the World Bank consumer price level, not a market listing.
Monthly	Model benchmark: about $500 / month at a US$1,500 world-price baseline.
Cities	Lusaka, Kitwe, Ndola

Economy

Economic strength

Limited

Output & income

GDP$28.9B (2025)

GDP / person$1,318 (2025)

GNI / person$3,990 PPP (2025)

GDP growth3.8% / yr (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Stability & labour

Inflation13.9% / yr (2025)

Unemployment5.9% (2025)

Output per worker$10,874 PPP (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Sector composition

Agriculture4.1% of GDP (2025)

Industry35.3% of GDP (2025)

Services57.0% of GDP (2025)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Main industries

Copper miningAgricultureEnergyTourism

Top exports

CopperCobaltGemstonesTobacco

Type	Lower-middle-income, copper-driven
Key sectors	Copper mining (the economic backbone), Agriculture
Summary	A copper-dependent economy whose fortunes track the metal's price, diversifying slowly into agriculture and energy.
Currency	Zambian kwacha

Business and wealth

Taxes

Tax friendliness

Limited

Personal	37
Corporate	30
Capital gains	Treatment varies by asset, entity, residence, holding period, and domestic exemptions; consult the current country summary.
Dividends	Domestic and withholding rates vary with residence, ownership, and treaty eligibility.
Exit tax	No harmonized cross-country answer; verify current deemed-disposal and residence-cessation rules.
Foreign companies	Permanent-establishment, management-and-control, transfer-pricing, withholding, and reporting rules may apply.

Personal tax

Limited

Personal	37
Freelance	Freelancers typically need appropriate immigration permission plus business and tax registration.
Capital gains	Treatment varies by asset, entity, residence, holding period, and domestic exemptions; consult the current country summary.
Dividends	Domestic and withholding rates vary with residence, ownership, and treaty eligibility.
Exit tax	No harmonized cross-country answer; verify current deemed-disposal and residence-cessation rules.

Corporate tax

Low

Corporate	30
Capital gains	Treatment varies by asset, entity, residence, holding period, and domestic exemptions; consult the current country summary.
Dividends	Domestic and withholding rates vary with residence, ownership, and treaty eligibility.
Foreign companies	Permanent-establishment, management-and-control, transfer-pricing, withholding, and reporting rules may apply.

Business

Business friendliness

Limited

Regulation & bureaucracy

Regulatory quality-0.42 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)

Government effectiveness-0.53 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Operating rules

Foreign company	Foreign ownership is generally possible, subject to sector restrictions, licensing, local-participation rules, and beneficial-ownership checks.
Local company	Local company forms are available; registration, tax, capital, director, address, and licensing requirements vary.
Freelance	Freelancers typically need appropriate immigration permission plus business and tax registration.

Investment

Investing environment

Limited

Market cap52% of GDP (2025)

Private credit17% of GDP (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Capital gains	Capital-gains treatment varies by asset, holding structure, residence, and treaty position.
Dividends	Data not available yet
ETFs & funds	Data not available yet
Wealth tax	Verify current national and subnational net-wealth, property, inheritance, and transfer taxes.
Brokers	Local and international broker access depends on residency, exchange controls, sanctions screening, and platform onboarding.
Foreign access	Data not available yet
Tax-advantaged	Data not available yet

Wealth building

Wealth accumulation

Moderate

Salary & work

Limited

Business

Limited

Investment

Limited

Tax friendliness

Limited

Cost of living

Excellent

Daily life

Safety

Safety & stability

Moderate

Personal safety

Homicide rate5.2 per 100,000 (2015)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Institutions & stability

Control of corruption-0.46 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)

Political stability-0.10 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Check current government travel and security advice before relocating.

Healthcare

Healthcare score

Limited

Outcomes

Life expectancy66.5 years (2024)

Under-5 mortality48.4 per 1,000 births (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Capacity & resourcing

Physicians0.32 per 1,000 (2022)

Hospital beds2.00 per 1,000 (2010)

Health spending$244 PPP / person (2023)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

System & costs

System	Public and private provision coexist; eligibility, service quality, and capacity vary by location.
Insurance	Insurance and proof-of-cover requirements depend on immigration status, employer, and residence route.
Average cost	Health expenditure: $244 PPP per person (2023).

Environment

Environment score

Excellent

Environmental pressure

PM2.5 exposure20.2 μg/m³ annually (2023)

Water stress2.8% (2022)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Infrastructure

Infrastructure score

Moderate

Digital infrastructure

Internet use17.1% (2024)

Internet resilience43 / 100 (2026)

Fixed speed56 / 100 download index (2026)

Mobile speed42 / 100 download index (2026)

Sources: World Bank World Development Indicators · Internet Society Pulse Internet Resilience Index

Utilities

Electricity access51.1% (2023)

Grid losses5.3% of output (2023)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Transport

Transport quality2.30 / 5 (2018)

Rail density1.7 km / 1,000 km² (2019)

Air connectivity582 departures / million people (2023)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Education

Education score

Limited

Attainment

Expected schooling11.0 years (2023)

Mean schooling7.4 years (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025

Participation & investment

Tertiary enrolment4% gross (2012)

Education spending4.1% of GDP (2023)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Tuition	Fees vary by institution, programme, level, and nationality; no harmonized official tuition series is used.
Public university	Check current public-university fee schedules and scholarship rules directly with each institution.
Languages	English
Student work	Student employment rights vary by permit and may require separate authorization or hour limits.

HDI

Human development score

Moderate

HDI0.595 (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025

Long & healthy life

Life expectancy66.3 years (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025

Knowledge

Expected schooling11.0 years (2023)

Mean schooling7.4 years (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025