Updated on July 16, 2023 with the latest
July 2023-July 2024 estimates from the 2022 U.N. Revision

Zambia Population (LIVE)

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Zambia Population (1950 - 2023)

Yearly Population Growth Rate (%)

The current population of Zambia is 20,714,803 as of Wednesday, October 4, 2023, based on Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data ¹.
Zambia 2023 population is estimated at 20,569,737 people at mid year.
Zambia population is equivalent to 0.26% of the total world population.
Zambia ranks number 63 in the list of countries (and dependencies) by population.
The population density in Zambia is 28 per Km² (72 people per mi²).
The total land area is 743,390 Km2 (287,024 sq. miles)
45.9 % of the population is urban (9,445,888 people in 2023)
The median age in Zambia is 17.3 years.

1. Updated on July 16, 2023 with the latest July 2023-July 2024 estimates from the United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2022 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

Population of Zambia (2023 and historical)

Year	Population	Yearly % Change	Yearly Change	Migrants (net)	Median Age	Fertility Rate	Density (P/Km²)	Urban Pop %	Urban Population	Country's Share of World Pop	World Population	Zambia Global Rank
2023	20,569,737	2.76 %	552,062	-5,000	17.3	4.18	28	45.9 %	9,445,888	0.26 %	8,045,311,447	63
2022	20,017,675	2.80 %	544,550	-5,000	17.1	4.24	27	45.3 %	9,062,291	0.25 %	7,975,105,156	63
2020	18,927,715	2.98 %	547,238	9,015	16.8	4.38	25	44.0 %	8,336,381	0.24 %	7,840,952,880	66
2015	16,248,230	3.33 %	491,229	16,283	16.0	4.79	22	41.5 %	6,747,236	0.22 %	7,426,597,537	67
2010	13,792,086	3.59 %	445,443	22,765	15.5	5.36	19	39.5 %	5,450,667	0.20 %	6,985,603,105	70
2005	11,564,870	3.18 %	334,747	35,351	15.0	5.71	16	38.5 %	4,448,559	0.18 %	6,558,176,119	71
2000	9,891,136	2.64 %	241,400	-5,152	14.6	5.93	13	37.1 %	3,665,128	0.16 %	6,148,898,975	79
1995	8,684,135	2.47 %	199,547	-45,408	14.5	6.24	12	39.0 %	3,390,243	0.15 %	5,743,219,454	80
1990	7,686,401	2.83 %	199,990	-40,900	14.5	6.53	10	41.2 %	3,163,284	0.14 %	5,316,175,862	82
1985	6,686,449	3.17 %	193,202	-21,769	14.3	6.92	9	41.2 %	2,758,109	0.14 %	4,861,730,613	84
1980	5,720,438	3.01 %	157,838	-25,771	14.0	7.15	8	41.0 %	2,344,812	0.13 %	4,444,007,706	88
1975	4,931,249	2.87 %	129,916	-30,891	14.2	7.39	7	35.2 %	1,734,432	0.12 %	4,069,437,231	91
1970	4,281,671	3.20 %	124,729	-31,372	14.8	7.37	6	29.6 %	1,266,841	0.12 %	3,695,390,336	94
1965	3,658,024	3.24 %	107,719	-5,370	15.3	7.29	5	22.8 %	832,850	0.11 %	3,337,111,983	102
1960	3,119,430	3.10 %	88,444	-3,894	15.8	7.12	4	17.7 %	552,492	0.10 %	3,019,233,434	98
1955	2,677,209	2.92 %	71,752	-2,343	16.3	6.82	4	14.3 %	382,236	0.10 %	2,746,072,141	102

Source: Worldometer (www.Worldometers.info)

Elaboration of data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2022 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

Zambia Population Forecast

-5,000

Year	Population	Yearly % Change	Yearly Change	Migrants (net)	Median Age	Fertility Rate	Density (P/Km²)	Urban Pop %	Urban Population	Country's Share of World Pop	World Population	Zambia Global Rank
2025	21,706,928	2.78 %	555,843	-5,000	17.6	4.03	29	47.3 %	10,256,668	0.26 %	8,191,988,453	63
2030	24,676,417	2.60 %	593,898	-5,000	18.7	3.73	33	50.9 %	12,548,518	0.29 %	8,546,141,327	61
2035	27,782,051	2.40 %	621,127	-5,000	19.8	3.44	37	54.8 %	15,219,971	0.31 %	8,879,397,401	60
2040	30,973,549	2.20 %	638,300	-5,000	20.9	3.21	42	59.0 %	18,271,801	0.34 %	9,188,250,492	59
2045	34,204,865	2.00 %	646,263	-5,000	21.9	3.03	46	63.5 %	21,722,143	0.36 %	9,467,543,575	58
2050	37,460,435	1.83 %	651,114		23.0	2.86	50	68.3 %	25,576,780	0.39 %	9,709,491,761	54

Source: Worldometer (www.Worldometers.info)

Elaboration of data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2022 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

Zambia Demographics

Main Page: Demographics of Zambia

Life Expectancy

62.96 years

(life expectancy at birth, both sexes)
View by sex and historical chart

Infant Mortality

36.6

(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
View historical chart

Deaths under age 5

52.2

(per 1,000 live births)
View historical chart

Main Cities by Population in Zambia

(includes boroughs, districts, urban agglomerations, etc.)

#	CITY NAME	POPULATION
1	Lusaka	1,267,440
2	Kitwe	400,914
3	Ndola	394,518
4	Kabwe	188,979
5	Chingola	148,564
6	Mufulira	120,500
7	Luanshya	113,365
8	Livingstone	109,203
9	Kasama	91,056
10	Chipata	85,963
11	Kalulushi	66,575
12	Mazabuka	64,006
13	Chililabombwe	57,328
14	Mongu	52,534
15	Kafue	47,554
16	Choma	46,746
17	Mansa	42,277
18	Kansanshi	40,705
19	Kapiri Mposhi	37,942
20	Monze	30,257
21	Mpika	28,445
22	Nchelenge	23,693
23	Kawambwa	20,589
24	Mbala	20,570
25	Samfya	20,470
26	Sesheke	20,149
27	Petauke	19,296
28	Mumbwa	19,086
29	Siavonga	18,638

Notes

The Zambia Population (Live) counter shows a continuously updated estimate of the current population of Zambia delivered by Worldometer's RTS algorithm, which processes data collected from the United Nations Population Division.

The Population of Zambia (1950 - 2023) chart plots the total population count as of July 1 of each year, from 1950 to 2023.

The Yearly Population Growth Rate chart plots the annual percentage changes in population registered on July 1 of each year, from 1951 to 2023. This value can differ from the Yearly % Change shown in the historical table, which shows the last year equivalent percentage change assuming homogeneous change in the preceding five year period.

Definitions

Year: as of July 1 of the year indicated.

Population: Overall total population (both sexes and all ages) in the country as of July 1 of the year indicated, as estimated by the United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2022 Revision. For forecasted years, the U.N. medium-fertility variant is used.

Yearly % Change: For 2023: percentage change in total population over the last year (from July 1, 2022 to June 30 2023). For all other years: latest year annual percentage change equivalent assuming homogeneous change in the preceding five year period, calculated through reverse compounding.

Yearly Change: For 2023: absolute change in total population (increase or decrease in number of people) over the last year (from July 1, 2022 to June 30 2023). For all other years: average annual numerical change over the preceding five year period.

Migrants (net): The average annual number of immigrants minus the number of emigrants over the preceding five year period (running from July 1 to June 30 of the initial and final years), or subsequent five year period (for 2016 data). A negative number means that there are more emigrants than immigrants.

Median Age: age that divides the population into two numerically equal groups: half of the people are older than the median age indicated and half are younger. This parameter provides an indication of age distribution.

Fertility Rate: (Total Fertility Rate, or TFR), it is expressed as children per woman. It is calculated as the average number of children an average woman will have during her reproductive period (15 to 49 years old) based on the current fertility rates of every age group in the country, and assuming she is not subject to mortality.

Density (P/Km²): (Population Density) Population per square Kilometer (Km²).

Urban Pop % : Urban population as a percentage of total population.

Urban Population: Population living in areas classified as urban according to the criteria used by each country.

Country's Share of World Pop: Total population in the country as a percentage of total World Population as of July 1 of the year indicated.

World Population: Total World Population as of July 1 of the year indicated.

Global Rank: Position held by Zambia in the list of all countries worldwide ranked by population (from the highest population to the lowest population) as of July 1 of the year indicated.