Rank #211 by World Population

🇿🇲Zambia

Zambia has a population of 20,723,965, ranking #211 in the world. The capital is Lusaka. Located in Sub-Saharan Africa .

World Bank: Lower middle income

20,723,965

Population

#211

World Rank

66.3

Life Expectancy

$1,331

GDP Per Capita

Zambia, #211 by world population

Zambia Population History (1960-2024)

The country of Zambia had a population of 3,153,729 in 1960 and 21,314,956 in 2024, a 6.8× growth over 64 years. The peak was 21,314,956 in 2024. Average annual growth rate: 3.03%.

Zambia population, 1960–2024 · Source: U.S. Census Bureau — decennial census & Population Estimates

21,314,956

Population (2024)

3,153,729

Population (1960)

21,314,956

Peak (2024)

3.03%

Avg Annual Growth

Year	Population	Change	Annual %	Source
1960	3,153,729	-	-	estimate
1961	3,254,086	+100,357	+3.18%	estimate
1962	3,358,099	+104,013	+3.20%	estimate
1963	3,465,907	+107,808	+3.21%	estimate
1964	3,577,017	+111,110	+3.21%	estimate
1965	3,692,086	+115,069	+3.22%	estimate
1966	3,812,003	+119,917	+3.25%	estimate
1967	3,936,343	+124,340	+3.26%	estimate
1968	4,065,593	+129,250	+3.28%	estimate
1969	4,197,116	+131,523	+3.24%	estimate
1970	4,321,718	+124,602	+2.97%	estimate
1971	4,442,525	+120,807	+2.80%	estimate
1972	4,569,309	+126,784	+2.85%	estimate
1973	4,702,693	+133,384	+2.92%	estimate
1974	4,842,746	+140,053	+2.98%	estimate
1975	4,990,086	+147,340	+3.04%	estimate
1976	5,143,842	+153,756	+3.08%	estimate
1977	5,302,480	+158,638	+3.08%	estimate
1978	5,465,374	+162,894	+3.07%	estimate
1979	5,631,728	+166,354	+3.04%	estimate
1980	5,802,833	+171,105	+3.04%	estimate
1981	5,983,289	+180,456	+3.11%	estimate
1982	6,178,637	+195,348	+3.26%	estimate
1983	6,381,038	+202,401	+3.28%	estimate
1984	6,580,490	+199,452	+3.13%	estimate
1985	6,780,953	+200,463	+3.05%	estimate
1986	6,986,471	+205,518	+3.03%	estimate
1987	7,191,282	+204,811	+2.93%	estimate
1988	7,391,440	+200,158	+2.78%	estimate
1989	7,589,216	+197,776	+2.68%	estimate
1990	7,786,169	+196,953	+2.60%	estimate
1991	7,981,650	+195,481	+2.51%	estimate
1992	8,176,680	+195,030	+2.44%	estimate
1993	8,373,921	+197,241	+2.41%	estimate
1994	8,576,269	+202,348	+2.42%	estimate
1995	8,785,763	+209,494	+2.44%	estimate
1996	9,004,053	+218,290	+2.48%	estimate
1997	9,237,063	+233,010	+2.59%	estimate
1998	9,482,408	+245,345	+2.66%	estimate
1999	9,740,005	+257,597	+2.72%	estimate
2000	10,017,631	+277,626	+2.85%	estimate
2001	10,325,185	+307,554	+3.07%	estimate
2002	10,647,949	+322,764	+3.13%	estimate
2003	10,983,595	+335,646	+3.15%	estimate
2004	11,338,198	+354,603	+3.23%	estimate
2005	11,718,819	+380,621	+3.36%	estimate
2006	12,129,553	+410,734	+3.50%	estimate
2007	12,565,085	+435,532	+3.59%	estimate
2008	13,021,324	+456,239	+3.63%	estimate
2009	13,490,389	+469,065	+3.60%	estimate
2010	13,965,594	+475,205	+3.52%	estimate
2011	14,437,796	+472,202	+3.38%	estimate
2012	14,913,629	+475,833	+3.30%	estimate
2013	15,398,997	+485,368	+3.25%	estimate
2014	15,895,315	+496,318	+3.22%	estimate
2015	16,399,089	+503,774	+3.17%	estimate
2016	16,914,423	+515,334	+3.14%	estimate
2017	17,441,320	+526,897	+3.12%	estimate
2018	17,973,569	+532,249	+3.05%	estimate
2019	18,513,839	+540,270	+3.01%	estimate
2020	19,059,395	+545,556	+2.95%	estimate
2021	19,603,607	+544,212	+2.86%	estimate
2022	20,152,938	+549,331	+2.80%	estimate
2023	20,723,965	+571,027	+2.83%	estimate
2024	21,314,956	+590,991	+2.85%	estimate

Demographics

Population	20,723,965
Population Growth Rate	2.79%
Urban Population	45.0%
Fertility Rate	4.10 births/woman
Life Expectancy	66.3 years
Infant Mortality Rate	35.0 per 1,000
Literacy Rate	79.9%

Economy & Trade

$1,331

GDP Per Capita

5.9%

Unemployment Rate

Lower middle income

Income Level

51.5

Gini Index (inequality)

78.2%

Trade (% of GDP)

502,000

Tourism Arrivals

Health & Education

6.0%

Health Expenditure (% GDP)

0.32

Physicians per 1,000

4.1%

Education Expenditure (% GDP)

79.9%

Literacy Rate

35.0

Infant Mortality (per 1,000)

Development & Connectivity

51.1%

Electricity Access

15.0%

Internet Users

103

Mobile Subs per 100

27.9

People per km2

9,521

Net Migration

Environment

59.5%

Forest Area

Other Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa

Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi

Zambia in global context

Zambia is one of 212 countries tracked. See how it ranks globally, regional shares of world population, and projections to 2050 / 2100.

World Population 2026: Top 10 Countries, Regions & Trends →

Other related entities

Angola (36,749,906)Benin (14,111,034)Botswana (2,480,244)Burkina Faso (23,025,776)Burundi (13,689,450)All countries →

Country rankings

Populated Countries in the World Countries With Highest GDP Per Capita Countries With Highest Life Expectancy Countries With Highest Fertility Rates Countries With Highest Literacy Rates Urbanized Countries in the World Fastest Growing Countries by Population Countries With Highest Infant Mortality Countries With Highest Income Inequality Countries With Most International Tourism All rankings →

Frequently Asked Questions

Zambia has a population of 20,723,965, ranking #211 in the world. The annual population growth rate is 2.79%.

Life expectancy in Zambia is 66.3 years. The infant mortality rate is 35.0 per 1,000 live births.

Zambia's GDP per capita is $1,331. It is classified as a lower middle income country by the World Bank.

45.0% of Zambia's population lives in urban areas. The overall population density is 27.9 people per square kilometer.

The adult literacy rate in Zambia is 79.9%. The country spends 4.1% of GDP on education.

Sources: World Bank Open Data

International data from the World Bank Open Data API. Population figures are latest available estimates. GDP per capita in current US dollars.

Zambia is a country in Sub-Saharan Africa with a population of 20,723,965. The population is expanding fast — roughly 2.8% annually.

GDP per capita is roughly $1,331, placing Zambia among lower-income economies. Life expectancy is 66.3 years, below the global average, with a fertility rate of 4.1 births per woman, and 45.0% of the population lives in urban areas.

Source: World Bank Open Data, 2026.