What is the population of Lusaka?
Lusaka has a city population of 2,212,301. That is the population within the city's own boundary, not its wider metropolitan area. City population, GeoNames.
Capital city · Zambia · Africa
Lusaka
City population
2,212,301
#1
in Zambia
#1
in Lusaka Province
#179
worldwide
-15.407, 28.287
About Lusaka
With a metropolitan population of 3.181 million and annual growth of 4.2%, Lusaka is Zambia's largest city and a rapidly expanding urban centre in southern Africa. The city proper holds 2,212,301 residents at a density of 8,836 people per km², reflecting significant urban concentration. Founded in 1905, Lusaka sits at an elevation of 1,277 metres and is served by Kenneth Kaunda International Airport.
The city's growth rate outpaces many regional peers, indicating a young and expanding workforce. Current municipal leadership is held by mayor Chilando Chitangala. As the nation's primary metropolitan area, Lusaka anchors demographic and economic activity across Zambia.
This summary is AI-generated from the figures on this page. The figures themselves come from the sources cited beside each value.
Metro population
3,181,000
0.038% of world population
Archive estimateAnnual growth
+4.15%
Archive estimateDensity
8,836/km²
360 km² metro area
Key Facts
Country
Region
Rank in region
#1of 11
Founded
1905
Leadership
Chilando Chitangala
Coordinates
-15.407, 28.287
Record updated
26 October 2025
Entry edited, not measured
City population, GeoNames. GeoNames publishes no year for its population figures, so “record updated” is when the entry was last edited — not the date the population was measured. Elevation is modelled from a digital elevation model rather than surveyed, so it is approximate.
Nearby Cities
All 77 in ZambiaClosest listed cities by great-circle distance from the city centre.
Compared with the World's Largest Cities
City-proper population against the fifteen largest cities in the dataset.
| Name | City population |
|---|---|
| Shanghai | 24.9M |
| Beijing | 19M |
| Shenzhen | 17.5M |
| Guangzhou | 16.1M |
| Kinshasa | 16M |
| Istanbul | 15.7M |
| Lagos | 15.4M |
| Ho Chi Minh City | 14M |
| Chengdu | 13.6M |
| Lahore | 13M |
| Mumbai | 12.7M |
| São Paulo | 12.4M |
| Mexico City | 12.3M |
| Karachi | 11.6M |
| Tianjin | 11.1M |
| Lusaka | 2.21M |
Airports
Scheduled-service airports within 100 km, nearest first.
- Kenneth Kaunda International AirportLUN
20 km from the city centre
Source: OurAirports, matched by distance.
Population Trend in Zambia
No free source publishes city population back to 1950, so the parent country's series is shown instead.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1950 | 2,321,302 |
| 1960 | 3,153,729 |
| 1970 | 4,321,718 |
| 1980 | 5,802,833 |
| 1990 | 7,786,169 |
| 2000 | 10,017,631 |
| 2010 | 13,965,594 |
| 2020 | 19,059,395 |
| 2030 | 25,024,901 |
| 2040 | 31,550,402 |
| 2050 | 38,083,385 |
| 2060 | 44,467,763 |
| 2070 | 50,510,901 |
| 2080 | 55,974,886 |
| 2090 | 60,677,382 |
| 2100 | 64,473,916 |
Lusaka Population FAQ
Where is Lusaka?
Lusaka is in Lusaka Province, Zambia. Its coordinates are -15.407, 28.287.
How big is Lusaka compared with other cities in Zambia?
It is the 1st largest of the 77 cities listed in Zambia, holding 10.1% of the national population.