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%.
21,314,956
Population (2024)
3,153,729
Population (1960)
21,314,956
Peak (2024)
3.03%
Avg Annual Growth
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 3,153,729 |
| 1961 | 3,254,086 |
| 1962 | 3,358,099 |
| 1963 | 3,465,907 |
| 1964 | 3,577,017 |
| 1965 | 3,692,086 |
| 1966 | 3,812,003 |
| 1967 | 3,936,343 |
| 1968 | 4,065,593 |
| 1969 | 4,197,116 |
| 1970 | 4,321,718 |
| 1971 | 4,442,525 |
| 1972 | 4,569,309 |
| 1973 | 4,702,693 |
| 1974 | 4,842,746 |
| 1975 | 4,990,086 |
| 1976 | 5,143,842 |
| 1977 | 5,302,480 |
| 1978 | 5,465,374 |
| 1979 | 5,631,728 |
| 1980 | 5,802,833 |
| 1981 | 5,983,289 |
| 1982 | 6,178,637 |
| 1983 | 6,381,038 |
| 1984 | 6,580,490 |
| 1985 | 6,780,953 |
| 1986 | 6,986,471 |
| 1987 | 7,191,282 |
| 1988 | 7,391,440 |
| 1989 | 7,589,216 |
| 1990 | 7,786,169 |
| 1991 | 7,981,650 |
| 1992 | 8,176,680 |
| 1993 | 8,373,921 |
| 1994 | 8,576,269 |
| 1995 | 8,785,763 |
| 1996 | 9,004,053 |
| 1997 | 9,237,063 |
| 1998 | 9,482,408 |
| 1999 | 9,740,005 |
| 2000 | 10,017,631 |
| 2001 | 10,325,185 |
| 2002 | 10,647,949 |
| 2003 | 10,983,595 |
| 2004 | 11,338,198 |
| 2005 | 11,718,819 |
| 2006 | 12,129,553 |
| 2007 | 12,565,085 |
| 2008 | 13,021,324 |
| 2009 | 13,490,389 |
| 2010 | 13,965,594 |
| 2011 | 14,437,796 |
| 2012 | 14,913,629 |
| 2013 | 15,398,997 |
| 2014 | 15,895,315 |
| 2015 | 16,399,089 |
| 2016 | 16,914,423 |
| 2017 | 17,441,320 |
| 2018 | 17,973,569 |
| 2019 | 18,513,839 |
| 2020 | 19,059,395 |
| 2021 | 19,603,607 |
| 2022 | 20,152,938 |
| 2023 | 20,723,965 |
| 2024 | 21,314,956 |
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
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
Country 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.
International data from the World Bank Open Data API. Population figures are latest available estimates. GDP per capita in current US dollars.
The this entity record above pulls directly from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS and decennial files. What follows is the per-entity context — how this entity sits in the broader U.S. population demographics distribution and which underlying factors drive the headline numbers.
The methodology behind every numeric value on this page is publicly documented on the the U.S. Census Bureau ACS and decennial files portal and described in detail on this site’s methodology page. Refresh cadence varies by underlying series; the page surfaces the as-of date for each number so readers can trace any figure back to the source release.
For readers using this page as a decision input, the related-entity pages elsewhere on the site provide the comparison set. The most useful comparison for this entity is typically a peer within U.S. states, metros, cities, and ZIPs with similar size, similar exposure, or similar geography — not the national-level summary alone.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, 2026.