Zambia Demographics

Population of Zambia (2025)

View live population, charts & trends: Population of Zambia

Zambia Population
21,913,874
see live
Yearly Change
+2.81%
Global Share
0.27%
Global Rank
63

Median Age

The median age in Zambia is 17.9 years (2025).

Fertility in Zambia

A Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 represents the Replacement-Level Fertility: the average number of children per woman needed for each generation to exactly replace itself without needing international immigration. A value below 2.1 will cause the native population to decline


Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
4.0
(Live Births per Woman, 2025)

Life Expectancy in Zambia

See also: Countries in the world ranked by Life Expectancy

Both Sexes
66.7
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes combined)
Females
69.1
(life expectancy at birth, females)
Males
64.3
(life expectancy at birth, males)


Infant Mortality Rate and Deaths of Children under 5 Years Old in Zambia


Infant Mortality
36.6
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
Deaths under age 5
49.8
(per 1,000 live births)


Zambia Urban Population

Currently, 46.8% of the population of Zambia is urban (10,256,668 people in 2025)


Population Density

The 2025 population density in Zambia is 29 people per Km2 (76 people per mi2), calculated on a total land area of 743,390 Km2 (287,024 sq. miles).

Largest Cities in Zambia

# City Population
1 Lusaka 1,267,440
2 Ndola 451,246
3 Kitwe 400,914
4 Chipata 327,059
5 Kabwe 188,979
6 Chingola 148,564
7 Mufulira 120,500
8 Luanshya 113,365
9 Livingstone 109,203
10 Kasama 91,056
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
30 Kalomo 15,394

See also

Sources

Definitions

Population Pyramid

A Population pyramid (also called "Age-Sex Pyramid") is a graphical representation of the age and sex of a population.

Types:

  • Expansive - pyramid with a wide base (larger percentage of people in younger age groups, indicating high birth rates and high fertility rates) and narrow top (high death rate and lower life expectancies). It suggests a growing population. Example: Nigeria Population Pyramid
  • Constrictive - pyramid with a narrow base (lower percentage of younger people, indicating declining birth rates with each succeeding age group getting smaller than the previous one). Example: United States
  • Stationary - with a somewhat equal proportion of the population in each age group. The population is stable, neither increasing nor decreasing.

Stages:

Population pyramid stages

Dependency Ratio

There are three types of age dependency ratio: Youth, Elderly, and Total. All three ratios are commonly multiplied by 100.

Youth Dependency Ratio

Definition: population ages 0-15 divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 0-15] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Elderly dependency ratio

Definition: population ages 65-plus divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 65-plus] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Total dependency ratio

Definition: sum of the youth and old-age ratios.

Formula: (([Population ages 0-15] + [Population ages 65-plus]) ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

NOTE: Dependency Ratio does not take into account labor force participation rates by age group. Some portion of the population counted as "working age" may actually be unemployed or not in the labor force whereas some portion of the "dependent" population may be employed and not necessarily economically dependent.