Population of Zambia

As of May 2025, the population of Zambia is 21.6 million. The number of inhabitants has increased by 575 thousand in the last year, representing a growth of 2.71%. The median age of the population has increased in recent years, rising from 16 years in 2015 to 17.6 years in 2025. Currently, life expectancy at birth is 63.9 years and population density is 29.2 inhabitants per square kilometer.

Population Growth

The population growth rate of Zambia peaked in 2007, reaching around 3.61% annually, but has since declined to approximately 2.65% in 2025. However, the annual increase in the number of people continues to rise, reaching around 574.8 thousand in 2025.

Life Expectancy

In Zambia, life expectancy at birth has been increasing, with the indicator rising from 50.7 years in 2005 to 63.9 years in 2025, representing an increase of more than 13 years over the past 2 decades.

Most populous cities in Zambia

Zambia has several cities considered medium-sized by their number of inhabitants, but there are also some large ones. The most populous city is Lusaka, Lusaka Province, con una diferencia significativa sobre las demás, alcanzando approximately 2.2 million inhabitants. It is followed by Kitwe, Copperbelt with 666 thousand and Ndola, Copperbelt with 627.5 thousand.

These are the 20 most populous cities in Zambia: