What is the population of Zambia in 2026?
Zambia has a population of 21,913,874 people (2025 estimate), which is 62nd in the world and about 0.26% of the global total.
Officially Republic of Zambia
Population 2025
21,913,874
0.26% of world population
World Bank, 2025Annual Growth
+2.77%
+607,233 people a year
World Bank, 2025Density
28/km²
743,390 km² land area
World Bank, 2023Median Age
17.9 years
Life expectancy 66.5 years
Our World in Data, 2025About Zambia
With roughly 22 million people, Zambia ranks 62nd globally and spans 743,390 km² across south-central Africa. Its population grows at 2.8% annually, driven by a median age of 17.9 years and a fertility rate of 4 births per woman, though life expectancy stands at 66.5 years. About 46% of residents live in urban areas, while population density remains sparse at 28 people per km².
Zambia gained independence in 1964 and operates under a presidential system of government. English is the official language, and the Zambian kwacha serves as currency. The country borders eight nations: Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. Lusaka functions as the capital, while the broader economy reflects a GDP per capita of $1,318.
This summary is AI-generated from the indicators on this page. The figures themselves come from the sources cited beside each value.
Country Facts
- Capital
- Lusaka
- Continent
- Africa
- ISO codes
- ZM · ZMB
- Demonym
- Zambian
- Currency
- Zambian kwacha (ZMW ZK)
- Government
- Presidential system, Representative democracy
- State inception
- 1964
- Time zone
- UTC+02:00
- Driving side
- Left
- Calling code
- +260
- Internet TLD
- .zm
- Land neighbours
- 8
Languages
- English
Demographics
Economy
Health
Education
Environment
Infrastructure
Quality of Life
Geography
Military
Age & Gender Distribution
Population by five-year age band, UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Male Female
- Age 0–14
- 41.5%
- Age 15–64
- 56.6%
- Age 65+
- 1.9%
| Age band | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 100+ | 7 | 26 |
| 95-99 | 88 | 260 |
| 90-94 | 619 | 1,577 |
| 85-89 | 2,979 | 6,297 |
| 80-84 | 9,482 | 17,532 |
| 75-79 | 22,648 | 37,569 |
| 70-74 | 47,129 | 71,942 |
| 65-69 | 83,826 | 112,969 |
| 60-64 | 134,095 | 163,385 |
| 55-59 | 199,393 | 226,122 |
| 50-54 | 294,685 | 313,676 |
| 45-49 | 413,072 | 419,639 |
| 40-44 | 522,482 | 520,961 |
| 35-39 | 631,982 | 633,262 |
| 30-34 | 728,714 | 738,117 |
| 25-29 | 850,213 | 865,528 |
| 20-24 | 995,292 | 1,011,193 |
| 15-19 | 1,196,213 | 1,205,367 |
| 10-14 | 1,354,487 | 1,357,776 |
| 5-9 | 1,459,858 | 1,460,881 |
| 0-4 | 1,602,976 | 1,600,636 |
Population History & Projection (1950–2100)
Observed population to 2024, then the UN medium-variant projection.
| 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 |
How Zambia Compares
Population against the ten most populous countries.
| Name | Population |
|---|---|
| India | 1.46B |
| China | 1.41B |
| United States | 341.8M |
| Indonesia | 285.7M |
| Pakistan | 255.2M |
| Nigeria | 237.5M |
| Brazil | 212.8M |
| Bangladesh | 175.7M |
| Russia | 143.5M |
| Ethiopia | 135.5M |
| Zambia | 21.9M |
Major Cities in Zambia
1 metropolitan area in our city dataset.
- Lusaka3.18M · +4.15%
Countries Bordering Zambia
8 land borders.
Zambia Population FAQ
Is the population of Zambia growing or shrinking?
Zambia's population is growing at +2.77% per year, a change of roughly 607,233 people annually.
What is the capital of Zambia?
The capital of Zambia is Lusaka.
What is the largest city in Zambia?
Lusaka is the largest metropolitan area in Zambia, with about 3.18M people.
How densely populated is Zambia?
Zambia has 28/km² across 743,390 km² of land area.
What is life expectancy in Zambia?
Life expectancy at birth in Zambia is 66.5 years (2024).
What is the median age in Zambia?
The median age in Zambia is 17.9 years, meaning half the population is younger than that and half older.
Which continent is Zambia in?
Zambia is in Africa.