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Country or area · Eastern Africa · Africa · UN WPP 2024
Zambia population
Zambia population now
22,672,241
A projection read at this second, not a count: the UN's totals for 1 January 2026 and 2027, joined by a straight line. 95% range for 31 December 2026: 22.2–23.3 million.
Mid-2023, UN estimate: 20,723,965
- Year
- 2026
- projection · medium
- Population, mid-2026
- 22.5219 million
- 95% range, 31 Dec: 22.2–23.3 million
- Median age
- 19.2
- Aged 65+
- 2.1%
male female projection · one cell = 10,000 people
How to read this: one row for each age, newborns at the bottom; men on the left, women on the right.
ZMB · 1950–2100 · in brief
Zambia in numbers
Zambia had 20,723,965 people in mid-2023, the 63rd-largest population of the 236 countries and areas the UN reports, and 0.26% of the world's people. That is 8.9 times its 1950 population of 2.3 million.
In the UN's medium projection it is still growing in 2100, when it reaches 64.5 million. The projection is uncertain: on 1 January 2100 the UN's 95% range runs from 27.3 million to 172 million.
Births outnumber deaths in every year from 1950 to 2100, estimates and projection alike.
The median age was 17.4 in 1950 and 18.5 in 2023; the projection has 35.4 in 2100. 1.9% of people were 65 or older in 2023, against 14.2% projected for 2100. The working-age population (15–64) is still growing in 2100 in the medium projection.
Its place in the world by population: 63rd in 2023, 53rd in 2050, 43rd in 2100. In the medium projection it overtakes Taiwan in 2027, Sri Lanka in 2028 and North Korea in 2033. It is overtaken by Chad in 2043 and Somalia in 2058.
- Population, mid-2023
- 20,723,965
- Rank by population, 2023
- 63 of 236
- Share of the world, 2023
- 0.26%
- Change in a year, mid-2022 to mid-2023
- +2.83% · +571,027 people
- People per km² of land, 2023
- 28
- Land area, 2023
- 743,390 km²
- Births, 2023
- 685,565
- Deaths, 2023
- 107,917
- Net migration, 2023
- +9,521
- Children per woman, 2023
- 4.10
- Median age, 2023
- 18.5 years
- Life expectancy at birth, 2023
- 66.3 years
- In a city, 2025
- 39 of every 100
- Population, mid-1950
- 2,321,302
- Projected, mid-2050
- 38,083,386
- Projected, mid-2100
- 64,473,916
ZMB · 1950–2100 · total population
Population, 1950–2100
estimate projection, up to the bottom of the 95% range 95% range medium projection. Every column stands for a single year, counted on 1 January, and the paper rules slice it into cells of equal size.
Show the numbers: Zambia, 1950–2100
| Year | Kind | Population, 1 Jan | 95% range | Births | Deaths | Children per woman | Life expectancy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | estimate | 2,285,718 | 116,321 | 43,741 | 6.78 | 46.8 | |
| 1951 | estimate | 2,356,887 | 119,180 | 44,794 | 6.77 | 47.2 | |
| 1952 | estimate | 2,429,716 | 122,480 | 45,675 | 6.77 | 47.6 | |
| 1953 | estimate | 2,504,787 | 125,909 | 46,468 | 6.79 | 48.0 | |
| 1954 | estimate | 2,582,290 | 129,382 | 47,266 | 6.79 | 48.4 | |
| 1955 | estimate | 2,662,264 | 132,924 | 48,024 | 6.80 | 48.8 | |
| 1956 | estimate | 2,744,822 | 136,495 | 48,783 | 6.81 | 49.1 | |
| 1957 | estimate | 2,829,999 | 140,527 | 49,620 | 6.83 | 49.5 | |
| 1958 | estimate | 2,918,136 | 144,850 | 50,342 | 6.86 | 49.9 | |
| 1959 | estimate | 3,009,598 | 149,490 | 51,132 | 6.90 | 50.3 | |
| 1960 | estimate | 3,104,510 | 154,365 | 52,029 | 6.95 | 50.6 | |
| 1961 | estimate | 3,202,948 | 159,197 | 52,880 | 6.98 | 51.0 | |
| 1962 | estimate | 3,305,225 | 164,110 | 53,938 | 7.01 | 51.3 | |
| 1963 | estimate | 3,410,973 | 169,631 | 55,077 | 7.06 | 51.6 | |
| 1964 | estimate | 3,520,842 | 174,741 | 57,543 | 7.08 | 51.2 | |
| 1965 | estimate | 3,633,191 | 180,310 | 57,497 | 7.12 | 52.1 | |
| 1966 | estimate | 3,750,982 | 185,982 | 58,821 | 7.14 | 52.3 | |
| 1967 | estimate | 3,873,023 | 192,091 | 60,153 | 7.15 | 52.5 | |
| 1968 | estimate | 3,999,662 | 198,864 | 61,550 | 7.18 | 52.7 | |
| 1969 | estimate | 4,131,523 | 205,365 | 62,703 | 7.18 | 53.0 | |
| 1970 | estimate | 4,262,709 | 213,166 | 63,784 | 7.22 | 53.4 | |
| 1971 | estimate | 4,380,728 | 219,618 | 64,369 | 7.26 | 53.9 | |
| 1972 | estimate | 4,504,323 | 226,582 | 64,933 | 7.30 | 54.4 | |
| 1973 | estimate | 4,634,294 | 233,636 | 65,375 | 7.34 | 54.9 | |
| 1974 | estimate | 4,771,091 | 240,477 | 65,994 | 7.36 | 55.4 | |
| 1975 | estimate | 4,914,401 | 249,274 | 67,017 | 7.42 | 55.7 | |
| 1976 | estimate | 5,065,771 | 254,778 | 68,017 | 7.39 | 56.1 | |
| 1977 | estimate | 5,221,914 | 261,015 | 69,459 | 7.35 | 56.3 | |
| 1978 | estimate | 5,383,045 | 266,141 | 71,211 | 7.29 | 56.3 | |
| 1979 | estimate | 5,547,703 | 271,308 | 73,731 | 7.22 | 56.0 | |
| 1980 | estimate | 5,715,753 | 275,758 | 76,941 | 7.14 | 55.5 | |
| 1981 | estimate | 5,889,913 | 283,192 | 80,366 | 7.07 | 55.0 | |
| 1982 | estimate | 6,076,665 | 292,169 | 84,548 | 7.04 | 54.4 | |
| 1983 | estimate | 6,280,609 | 301,973 | 89,262 | 7.01 | 53.7 | |
| 1984 | estimate | 6,481,468 | 311,311 | 94,615 | 6.97 | 52.9 | |
| 1985 | estimate | 6,679,513 | 321,721 | 100,371 | 6.93 | 52.0 | |
| 1986 | estimate | 6,882,393 | 331,129 | 106,363 | 6.87 | 51.1 | |
| 1987 | estimate | 7,090,550 | 339,951 | 112,138 | 6.80 | 50.4 | |
| 1988 | estimate | 7,292,014 | 348,105 | 117,988 | 6.70 | 49.7 | |
| 1989 | estimate | 7,490,866 | 357,559 | 124,129 | 6.63 | 48.9 | |
| 1990 | estimate | 7,687,566 | 365,709 | 129,870 | 6.57 | 48.2 | |
| 1991 | estimate | 7,884,772 | 374,003 | 136,049 | 6.46 | 47.4 | |
| 1992 | estimate | 8,078,528 | 380,634 | 140,679 | 6.35 | 47.0 | |
| 1993 | estimate | 8,274,832 | 390,491 | 144,572 | 6.30 | 46.7 | |
| 1994 | estimate | 8,473,010 | 400,771 | 148,750 | 6.26 | 46.3 | |
| 1995 | estimate | 8,679,528 | 410,778 | 152,882 | 6.23 | 46.0 | |
| 1996 | estimate | 8,891,999 | 419,394 | 156,926 | 6.18 | 45.8 | |
| 1997 | estimate | 9,116,107 | 427,751 | 159,556 | 6.12 | 45.7 | |
| 1998 | estimate | 9,358,018 | 437,933 | 162,365 | 6.07 | 45.7 | |
| 1999 | estimate | 9,606,799 | 447,078 | 163,776 | 6.00 | 45.9 | |
| 2000 | estimate | 9,873,211 | 455,450 | 162,269 | 5.92 | 46.6 | |
| 2001 | estimate | 10,162,052 | 462,304 | 159,613 | 5.85 | 47.4 | |
| 2002 | estimate | 10,488,319 | 472,047 | 156,004 | 5.77 | 48.5 | |
| 2003 | estimate | 10,807,579 | 482,672 | 151,482 | 5.71 | 49.6 | |
| 2004 | estimate | 11,159,611 | 497,982 | 148,632 | 5.70 | 50.5 | |
| 2005 | estimate | 11,516,785 | 513,724 | 144,969 | 5.70 | 51.6 | |
| 2006 | estimate | 11,920,853 | 529,835 | 141,944 | 5.68 | 52.7 | |
| 2007 | estimate | 12,338,253 | 542,530 | 138,811 | 5.61 | 53.7 | |
| 2008 | estimate | 12,791,918 | 555,123 | 135,566 | 5.53 | 54.8 | |
| 2009 | estimate | 13,250,730 | 567,055 | 132,600 | 5.45 | 55.9 | |
| 2010 | estimate | 13,730,049 | 578,071 | 129,747 | 5.36 | 56.9 | |
| 2011 | estimate | 14,201,139 | 587,057 | 127,307 | 5.26 | 57.8 | |
| 2012 | estimate | 14,674,452 | 594,512 | 125,114 | 5.14 | 58.7 | |
| 2013 | estimate | 15,152,806 | 600,296 | 123,456 | 5.01 | 59.5 | |
| 2014 | estimate | 15,645,188 | 605,841 | 122,164 | 4.89 | 60.1 | |
| 2015 | estimate | 16,145,442 | 612,410 | 121,381 | 4.78 | 60.7 | |
| 2016 | estimate | 16,652,735 | 619,352 | 121,831 | 4.67 | 61.1 | |
| 2017 | estimate | 17,176,111 | 626,801 | 122,175 | 4.57 | 61.6 | |
| 2018 | estimate | 17,706,528 | 637,415 | 121,767 | 4.49 | 62.1 | |
| 2019 | estimate | 18,240,610 | 648,090 | 120,012 | 4.42 | 62.9 | |
| 2020 | estimate | 18,787,069 | 655,797 | 119,310 | 4.32 | 63.4 | |
| 2021 | estimate | 19,331,721 | 665,154 | 129,518 | 4.25 | 62.4 | |
| 2022 | estimate | 19,875,494 | 675,973 | 112,518 | 4.17 | 65.3 | |
| 2023 | estimate | 20,430,382 | 685,565 | 107,917 | 4.10 | 66.3 | |
| 2024 | estimate | 21,017,548 | 697,518 | 110,084 | 4.04 | 66.5 | |
| 2025 | projection | 21,612,363 | 21.4–21.8 million | 708,934 | 112,472 | 3.97 | 66.7 |
| 2026 | projection | 22,215,385 | 21.8–22.5 million | 721,060 | 114,941 | 3.91 | 66.9 |
| 2027 | projection | 22,828,446 | 22.2–23.3 million | 732,320 | 117,534 | 3.85 | 67.0 |
| 2028 | projection | 23,448,995 | 22.6–24.2 million | 740,015 | 120,210 | 3.77 | 67.2 |
| 2029 | projection | 24,073,751 | 23.0–25.0 million | 751,998 | 123,093 | 3.72 | 67.4 |
| 2030 | projection | 24,705,621 | 23.4–25.9 million | 761,909 | 126,138 | 3.67 | 67.5 |
| 2031 | projection | 25,344,181 | 23.7–26.7 million | 771,640 | 129,319 | 3.61 | 67.7 |
| 2032 | projection | 25,988,827 | 24.1–27.6 million | 779,405 | 132,555 | 3.56 | 67.9 |
| 2033 | projection | 26,635,076 | 24.4–28.5 million | 786,522 | 135,845 | 3.50 | 68.0 |
| 2034 | projection | 27,285,099 | 24.7–29.5 million | 794,523 | 139,379 | 3.45 | 68.2 |
| 2035 | projection | 27,938,161 | 25.1–30.5 million | 802,366 | 143,105 | 3.40 | 68.3 |
| 2036 | projection | 28,595,623 | 25.4–31.5 million | 809,079 | 146,883 | 3.35 | 68.5 |
| 2037 | projection | 29,254,595 | 25.7–32.6 million | 813,936 | 150,761 | 3.30 | 68.6 |
| 2038 | projection | 29,912,388 | 26.0–33.6 million | 818,853 | 154,680 | 3.25 | 68.8 |
| 2039 | projection | 30,568,744 | 26.3–34.6 million | 822,535 | 158,802 | 3.19 | 68.9 |
| 2040 | projection | 31,222,450 | 26.5–35.6 million | 828,194 | 163,128 | 3.15 | 69.1 |
| 2041 | projection | 31,878,354 | 26.7–36.8 million | 833,617 | 167,637 | 3.11 | 69.2 |
| 2042 | projection | 32,530,338 | 27.0–37.9 million | 839,637 | 172,347 | 3.07 | 69.3 |
| 2043 | projection | 33,182,868 | 27.2–39.0 million | 845,081 | 177,075 | 3.03 | 69.5 |
| 2044 | projection | 33,838,156 | 27.5–40.2 million | 850,164 | 182,178 | 3.00 | 69.6 |
| 2045 | projection | 34,493,711 | 27.7–41.5 million | 855,298 | 187,205 | 2.96 | 69.8 |
| 2046 | projection | 35,148,501 | 27.9–42.8 million | 860,857 | 192,512 | 2.93 | 69.9 |
| 2047 | projection | 35,803,119 | 28.1–44.1 million | 866,266 | 197,805 | 2.90 | 70.1 |
| 2048 | projection | 36,455,448 | 28.4–45.4 million | 871,993 | 203,320 | 2.87 | 70.2 |
| 2049 | projection | 37,109,084 | 28.6–46.8 million | 877,115 | 209,050 | 2.84 | 70.3 |
| 2050 | projection | 37,760,282 | 28.8–48.3 million | 880,903 | 214,704 | 2.81 | 70.5 |
| 2051 | projection | 38,406,489 | 28.9–49.8 million | 885,960 | 220,552 | 2.79 | 70.6 |
| 2052 | projection | 39,051,295 | 29.1–51.4 million | 890,978 | 226,573 | 2.76 | 70.8 |
| 2053 | projection | 39,693,942 | 29.2–52.8 million | 897,507 | 232,651 | 2.74 | 70.9 |
| 2054 | projection | 40,335,723 | 29.4–54.4 million | 901,278 | 238,859 | 2.72 | 71.0 |
| 2055 | projection | 40,978,421 | 29.6–55.9 million | 905,988 | 245,152 | 2.69 | 71.2 |
| 2056 | projection | 41,617,985 | 29.7–57.5 million | 910,109 | 251,428 | 2.67 | 71.3 |
| 2057 | projection | 42,254,010 | 29.8–58.9 million | 913,763 | 257,633 | 2.65 | 71.5 |
| 2058 | projection | 42,887,573 | 29.9–60.6 million | 917,138 | 263,957 | 2.63 | 71.6 |
| 2059 | projection | 43,521,458 | 29.9–62.3 million | 920,866 | 270,332 | 2.61 | 71.8 |
| 2060 | projection | 44,152,568 | 30.1–64.1 million | 924,047 | 276,981 | 2.59 | 71.9 |
| 2061 | projection | 44,782,958 | 30.1–65.8 million | 927,243 | 283,428 | 2.57 | 72.0 |
| 2062 | projection | 45,406,299 | 30.1–67.7 million | 930,299 | 289,775 | 2.55 | 72.2 |
| 2063 | projection | 46,026,148 | 30.2–69.6 million | 932,825 | 296,434 | 2.53 | 72.3 |
| 2064 | projection | 46,639,766 | 30.2–71.7 million | 935,121 | 303,033 | 2.51 | 72.4 |
| 2065 | projection | 47,249,983 | 30.3–73.9 million | 936,594 | 309,672 | 2.49 | 72.6 |
| 2066 | projection | 47,853,297 | 30.4–75.4 million | 938,467 | 316,470 | 2.47 | 72.7 |
| 2067 | projection | 48,449,900 | 30.5–77.4 million | 941,006 | 323,527 | 2.46 | 72.8 |
| 2068 | projection | 49,043,491 | 30.3–79.5 million | 942,713 | 329,926 | 2.44 | 73.0 |
| 2069 | projection | 49,632,379 | 30.4–81.9 million | 943,485 | 336,399 | 2.43 | 73.1 |
| 2070 | projection | 50,220,965 | 30.4–84.3 million | 944,412 | 343,187 | 2.41 | 73.3 |
| 2071 | projection | 50,800,836 | 30.5–86.8 million | 946,105 | 349,945 | 2.40 | 73.4 |
| 2072 | projection | 51,374,171 | 30.4–88.9 million | 947,211 | 357,129 | 2.38 | 73.5 |
| 2073 | projection | 51,942,340 | 30.6–91.4 million | 947,608 | 363,766 | 2.37 | 73.7 |
| 2074 | projection | 52,503,824 | 30.5–94.2 million | 948,069 | 370,829 | 2.35 | 73.8 |
| 2075 | projection | 53,056,088 | 30.6–96.6 million | 948,564 | 378,137 | 2.34 | 73.9 |
| 2076 | projection | 53,602,574 | 30.5–98.8 million | 949,622 | 385,665 | 2.33 | 74.1 |
| 2077 | projection | 54,140,656 | 30.5–101.1 million | 951,385 | 393,043 | 2.32 | 74.2 |
| 2078 | projection | 54,676,086 | 30.4–103.4 million | 951,384 | 400,437 | 2.30 | 74.3 |
| 2079 | projection | 55,202,107 | 30.4–106.2 million | 951,646 | 408,183 | 2.29 | 74.5 |
| 2080 | projection | 55,717,986 | 30.2–108.5 million | 951,541 | 415,719 | 2.28 | 74.6 |
| 2081 | projection | 56,231,786 | 30.0–111.1 million | 951,970 | 423,512 | 2.27 | 74.7 |
| 2082 | projection | 56,735,834 | 30.0–113.9 million | 953,988 | 431,152 | 2.26 | 74.9 |
| 2083 | projection | 57,230,672 | 30.0–116.7 million | 954,427 | 439,026 | 2.25 | 75.0 |
| 2084 | projection | 57,719,106 | 30.0–118.9 million | 954,743 | 446,609 | 2.24 | 75.2 |
| 2085 | projection | 58,199,491 | 29.7–122.1 million | 952,593 | 454,191 | 2.23 | 75.3 |
| 2086 | projection | 58,669,041 | 29.6–124.1 million | 951,592 | 461,606 | 2.21 | 75.4 |
| 2087 | projection | 59,133,343 | 29.4–127.5 million | 950,211 | 468,809 | 2.20 | 75.6 |
| 2088 | projection | 59,591,430 | 29.3–130.9 million | 948,352 | 476,217 | 2.19 | 75.7 |
| 2089 | projection | 60,030,687 | 29.1–134.1 million | 947,669 | 483,723 | 2.18 | 75.8 |
| 2090 | projection | 60,465,781 | 28.8–137.7 million | 945,740 | 491,063 | 2.17 | 76.0 |
| 2091 | projection | 60,888,984 | 28.6–140.6 million | 946,135 | 498,548 | 2.16 | 76.1 |
| 2092 | projection | 61,308,389 | 28.4–144.5 million | 945,960 | 505,872 | 2.16 | 76.3 |
| 2093 | projection | 61,717,003 | 28.2–147.3 million | 943,529 | 513,284 | 2.15 | 76.4 |
| 2094 | projection | 62,113,715 | 28.0–151.0 million | 942,145 | 520,377 | 2.14 | 76.5 |
| 2095 | projection | 62,508,643 | 28.0–154.1 million | 940,010 | 527,682 | 2.13 | 76.7 |
| 2096 | projection | 62,887,427 | 27.9–157.6 million | 937,238 | 534,746 | 2.12 | 76.8 |
| 2097 | projection | 63,253,668 | 27.8–161.3 million | 933,796 | 541,518 | 2.11 | 76.9 |
| 2098 | projection | 63,615,700 | 27.6–164.8 million | 930,167 | 548,661 | 2.10 | 77.1 |
| 2099 | projection | 63,966,392 | 27.5–168.8 million | 927,422 | 555,549 | 2.09 | 77.2 |
| 2100 | projection | 64,307,449 | 27.3–172.2 million | 925,620 | 562,595 | 2.08 | 77.3 |
Show the numbers: Zambia, mid-2026, by single year of age
| Age | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 347,529 | 346,133 |
| 1 | 338,276 | 337,471 |
| 2 | 330,648 | 330,266 |
| 3 | 323,992 | 323,912 |
| 4 | 317,894 | 317,984 |
| 5 | 312,006 | 312,153 |
| 6 | 306,929 | 307,083 |
| 7 | 301,642 | 301,836 |
| 8 | 295,784 | 296,018 |
| 9 | 290,760 | 291,026 |
| 10 | 286,582 | 286,910 |
| 11 | 282,613 | 282,984 |
| 12 | 278,936 | 279,384 |
| 13 | 275,314 | 275,934 |
| 14 | 271,190 | 271,953 |
| 15 | 266,300 | 267,173 |
| 16 | 260,534 | 261,541 |
| 17 | 253,890 | 255,148 |
| 18 | 246,616 | 248,278 |
| 19 | 238,940 | 241,055 |
| 20 | 230,394 | 232,828 |
| 21 | 221,090 | 223,733 |
| 22 | 211,835 | 214,800 |
| 23 | 203,823 | 207,122 |
| 24 | 197,290 | 200,772 |
| 25 | 191,710 | 195,206 |
| 26 | 186,433 | 189,883 |
| 27 | 180,764 | 184,171 |
| 28 | 174,934 | 178,233 |
| 29 | 169,444 | 172,627 |
| 30 | 164,428 | 167,480 |
| 31 | 159,267 | 162,192 |
| 32 | 154,007 | 156,728 |
| 33 | 149,015 | 151,402 |
| 34 | 144,874 | 146,932 |
| 35 | 141,175 | 142,937 |
| 36 | 137,356 | 138,796 |
| 37 | 133,448 | 134,548 |
| 38 | 129,601 | 130,382 |
| 39 | 125,873 | 126,377 |
| 40 | 121,854 | 122,130 |
| 41 | 117,424 | 117,514 |
| 42 | 112,845 | 112,810 |
| 43 | 108,185 | 108,118 |
| 44 | 103,363 | 103,328 |
| 45 | 98,671 | 98,758 |
| 46 | 94,471 | 94,828 |
| 47 | 90,444 | 91,184 |
| 48 | 86,162 | 87,354 |
| 49 | 81,619 | 83,315 |
| 50 | 76,970 | 79,204 |
| 51 | 71,954 | 74,720 |
| 52 | 66,821 | 70,086 |
| 53 | 62,062 | 65,816 |
| 54 | 57,444 | 61,660 |
| 55 | 53,116 | 57,750 |
| 56 | 48,960 | 53,933 |
| 57 | 45,088 | 50,338 |
| 58 | 41,587 | 47,075 |
| 59 | 38,354 | 44,018 |
| 60 | 35,433 | 41,227 |
| 61 | 32,712 | 38,600 |
| 62 | 30,176 | 36,130 |
| 63 | 27,752 | 33,746 |
| 64 | 25,430 | 31,443 |
| 65 | 23,246 | 29,267 |
| 66 | 21,124 | 27,133 |
| 67 | 19,071 | 25,048 |
| 68 | 17,120 | 23,042 |
| 69 | 15,302 | 21,126 |
| 70 | 13,628 | 19,304 |
| 71 | 12,076 | 17,565 |
| 72 | 10,630 | 15,894 |
| 73 | 9,290 | 14,287 |
| 74 | 8,066 | 12,764 |
| 75 | 6,972 | 11,352 |
| 76 | 5,762 | 9,707 |
| 77 | 4,676 | 8,021 |
| 78 | 4,054 | 6,922 |
| 79 | 3,530 | 6,103 |
| 80 | 2,942 | 5,232 |
| 81 | 2,410 | 4,418 |
| 82 | 1,950 | 3,688 |
| 83 | 1,560 | 3,040 |
| 84 | 1,236 | 2,482 |
| 85 | 970 | 2,005 |
| 86 | 755 | 1,604 |
| 87 | 583 | 1,270 |
| 88 | 441 | 990 |
| 89 | 324 | 756 |
| 90 | 231 | 564 |
| 91 | 162 | 414 |
| 92 | 113 | 302 |
| 93 | 78 | 215 |
| 94 | 53 | 150 |
| 95 | 35 | 103 |
| 96 | 23 | 68 |
| 97 | 14 | 45 |
| 98 | 9 | 29 |
| 99 | 6 | 18 |
| 100+ | 7 | 26 |
ZMB · 1950–2100 · every age, every year
Zambia, every age in every year
Each column is a year and each row an age; the denser the ink in a cell, the more people. Everyone born in the same year climbs one 45° diagonal, so famines, baby booms and migration show up as streaks. Select a cell to follow its generation.
ZMB · ages 15–64
Who does the work in Zambia
In Zambia the number of people aged 15–64 is still growing in 2100, the last year the UN projects. In 2023 there were 11,635,700 of them.
aged 15–64 children under 15 aged 65 and over
How to read this: take 100 people of working age — the orange row — and the two rows under it are the children (teal) and the people of 65 and over (violet) who lived alongside them in 2023.
At no point between 1950 and 2100 do fewer than 50 dependants live alongside every 100 people aged 15–64 here.
fewer than 50 dependants per 100 the same, projected 50 or more
How to read this: one stripe a year from 1950 to 2100. A stripe takes colour in a year when fewer than 50 dependants live alongside every 100 people of working age, and stays grey otherwise; hatching means the year is projected.
ZMB · arrivals minus departures
Who arrives in Zambia, and who leaves
In 2020–2025 Zambia gains 4,768 people a year: everyone who arrives, minus everyone who leaves. The age at which that happens most is 25–29, at 1,135 a year more arriving than leaving.
more arrive than leave more leave than arrive
How to read this: age runs left to right, babies to 100. A blue square above the line means arrivals outnumber departures at that age, an orange square below it means the opposite. The figures are the UN's projection for 2020–2025; nobody recorded migration by age before 2020.
Across the counted years, 1950 to 2023, its biggest single-year gain was 49,945 (2007); its biggest loss, 47,739 (1993).
In 2024, 249,205 people living in Zambia had been born in another country, 1 of every 100 people there, against 4 in 1990.
ZMB · births by the mother's age · 1950–2100
Who has the babies in Zambia
Of every 100 babies born in Zambia in 2023, 20 had a mother under 20, 65 a mother aged 20 to 34 and 15 a mother aged 35 or older. In 1950 it was 20 under 20 and 17 aged 35 or older.
20 · 63 · 17
20 · 65 · 15
20 · 65 · 15
The mother's age: under 20 20 to 34 35 or older projected
How to read this: one block a year, 100 squares in each, a square for every hundredth baby. The colour is the mother's age group, and the three numbers underneath are those groups in order, youngest first.
- Babies born, 2023
- 685,565
- Average age when women have a baby
- 28.4 years
- 29.0 in 1950
- Babies a year per 1,000 girls aged 15–19
- 116
- 170 in 1950
Babies by the mother's age, 1950–2100
| Mother's age | 1950 | 1975 | 2000 | 2023 | 2050 projected | 2100 projected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10–14 | 3,451 | 4,788 | 4,661 | 3,818 | 2,560 | 757 |
| 15–19 | 20,575 | 52,677 | 90,851 | 135,206 | 170,424 | 95,679 |
| 20–24 | 30,123 | 66,390 | 129,621 | 180,812 | 214,323 | 175,532 |
| 25–29 | 24,289 | 47,286 | 101,205 | 149,314 | 195,980 | 241,473 |
| 30–34 | 18,476 | 36,171 | 69,988 | 114,435 | 165,213 | 243,164 |
| 35–39 | 12,258 | 26,038 | 38,870 | 71,387 | 98,778 | 134,211 |
| 40–44 | 5,647 | 13,096 | 16,922 | 26,840 | 30,614 | 32,339 |
| 45–49 | 1,427 | 2,709 | 3,207 | 3,671 | 2,973 | 2,445 |
| 50–54 | 75 | 119 | 125 | 82 | 38 | 20 |
| All babies | 116,321 | 249,274 | 455,450 | 685,565 | 880,903 | 925,620 |
The UN's births for each year, split by the mother's age in the UN's own proportions.
ZMB · healthy years · 2021
Years in good health in Zambia
Of the 61.0 years a baby born in Zambia in 2021 could expect, about 53.0 would be lived in full health (95% range 52.1–54.0). That leaves 8.0 years in less than full health, fewer than the world's 9.5, which mostly means lives are shorter here, with fewer years in which to be ill.
53.9 in full health, 9.2 not: 63.1 years
52.0 in full health, 6.7 not: 58.7 years
a year in full health a year in less than full health
How to read this: each square is a year of life, each row ten years; filled squares are years in full health, rounded to whole years.
Women: 53.9 healthy years of 63.1. Men: 52.0 of 58.7. In 2019, before the pandemic, the healthy years were 53.9.
ZMB · forced from home · end of 2025
Displacement in Zambia
At the end of 2025, Zambia was hosting 96,131 people who had crossed a border into it, about 4 of every 1,000 people living there.
- hosted from abroad96,131
- Zambia nationals abroad892
stayed inside their own country crossed a border
How to read this: one square stands for 2,000 people, so the rows can be compared with one another. The last row is people from Zambia living in another country, wherever they are. An outlined square means fewer people than one square stands for.
In 2025, 7,715 people asked for asylum in Zambia for the first time; 170 people from Zambia asked for asylum in another country. Of every 100 people from Zambia whose claims were decided that year, 41 were given protection. Who asks for asylum, and who is given it
ZMB · of every 100 people
How people live in Zambia
Of every 100 people in Zambia in 2025, 39 lived in a city, 16 in a town or suburb and 45 in the countryside.
cities towns and suburbs rural areas
46.4 of every 100 have no electricity at home (2024). 82.9 of every 100 do not use the internet (2024).
How to read this: everyone here, shrunk to 100 squares, with the colour saying whether that hundredth person lives in a city, a town or the countryside. Every country is measured by the same rule.
ZMB · adults 25 and over · 2020
How far people in Zambia went in school
Of every 100 adults in Zambia in 2020, 14 never went to school and 25 finished upper secondary or went further.
14 never went to school 23 some primary 21 finished primary 17 finished lower secondary 12 finished upper secondary 13 studied after school
Among women, 9.6 of every 100 aged 25–29 never went to school, against 27.5 of every 100 aged 60–64; among men, 7.5 against 11.7.
Its people aged 15 to 64 are projected to be most numerous in 2090; the ones who finished upper secondary are still growing in 2100.
How to read this: the row is the adults (25 and over) shrunk to 100 people, coloured by how far each went in school, least schooling on the left. The Wittgenstein Centre's count, 2020.
ZMB · cities · 2025
Cities in Zambia
Zambia had 33 cities in 2025, home to 8.5 million people. The largest, Lusaka, holds 16 of every 100 people in Zambia.
- Lusaka3,510,723
- Kitwe678,749
- Ndola535,108
- Mansa335,503
- Chingola294,193
- Kabwe267,618
- Kasama233,587
- Livingstone203,972
- Chipata197,310
- Mufulira173,181
All 10 cities in Zambia that reach 300,000 people
- Lusaka 3,510,723
- Kitwe 678,749
- Ndola 535,108
- Mansa 335,503
- Chingola 294,193
- Kabwe 267,618
- Kasama 233,587
- Livingstone 203,972
- Kapiri Mposhi 141,802
- Chilanga 133,860
How to read this: the 10 biggest cities here in 2025, drawn on a single scale so the bars can be compared. Each is a built-up area on the UN's rule rather than a city government's patch.
Apparatus
Sources and method
Every figure on this page comes from the UN's World Population Prospects 2024: the annual country tables (estimates to 2023, projections with 95% intervals from 2024), and the population by single year of age and sex for the pyramid.
The censuses, surveys and registers behind the UN's estimates for Zambia are listed, source by source, on the UN's own data sources page.
Sources: UN WPP 2024 · World Bank · UNHCR · country code lists · UN WUP 2025 · Wittgenstein Centre · WHO GHO · flag-icons · Natural Earth. Every source, its licence and how to cite it →
Checked before it was drawn
Verified 2026-09-30 · 73 canaries The pyramid for every year was checked against the published total. What that stamp counts, and what every page here has to pass before it can be built: how this site checks its figures.