Zambia Population (1960-2026) & Projected growth

The current population of Zambia is 22,697,916 people, as of 2026 based on the adjusted UN estimation. The latest officially reported number was 21,314,956 in 2024.

Zambia accounts for 0.27% of the world's population.
Since 2006, population has increased from 12.1M people to 22.7M (87.1% growth in 20 years).
Zambia is ranked 62/197 by population and was ranked 71st in 2006.
Zambia is projected to reach 65.2M people in 2100.
For the last 20 years, Zambia has had an average growth rate of 4.36% per year.

Zambia population and growth rate by year

1x

Year	Population	Growth rate
2100	65,217,429	0.53%
2099	64,871,545	0.55%
2098	64,515,891	0.57%
2097	64,148,736	0.58%
2096	63,777,313	0.61%
2095	63,393,169	0.64%
2094	62,992,652	0.64%
2093	62,590,327	0.67%
2092	62,175,930	0.69%
2091	61,750,591	0.7%
2090	61,321,399	0.72%
2089	60,880,148	0.74%
2088	60,434,676	0.77%
2087	59,970,107	0.79%
2086	59,499,234	0.81%
2085	59,023,040	0.83%
2084	58,535,857	0.85%
2083	58,040,512	0.87%
2082	57,538,672	0.9%
2081	57,027,491	0.92%
2080	56,506,421	0.93%
2079	55,983,242	0.96%
2078	55,449,777	0.99%
2077	54,906,771	1%
2076	54,361,075	1.03%
2075	53,806,856	1.05%
2074	53,246,777	1.08%
2073	52,677,348	1.11%
2072	52,101,139	1.13%
2071	51,519,691	1.15%
2070	50,931,614	1.19%
2069	50,334,700	1.2%
2068	49,737,479	1.23%
2067	49,135,488	1.25%
2066	48,530,443	1.28%
2065	47,918,592	1.31%
2064	47,299,740	1.33%
2063	46,677,439	1.37%
2062	46,048,819	1.39%
2061	45,416,657	1.43%
2060	44,777,347	1.45%
2059	44,137,306	1.48%
2058	43,494,451	1.5%
2057	42,851,923	1.53%
2056	42,206,898	1.56%
2055	41,558,284	1.59%
2054	40,906,492	1.62%
2053	40,255,629	1.65%
2052	39,603,888	1.68%
2051	38,949,958	1.71%
2050	38,294,607	1.75%
2049	37,634,194	1.79%
2048	36,971,309	1.82%
2047	36,309,749	1.86%
2046	35,645,868	1.9%
2045	34,981,812	1.94%
2044	34,316,981	1.97%
2043	33,652,420	2.01%
2042	32,990,657	2.05%
2041	32,329,447	2.1%
2040	31,664,262	2.14%
2039	31,001,305	2.19%
2038	30,335,662	2.25%
2037	29,668,561	2.3%
2036	29,000,264	2.35%
2035	28,333,498	2.39%
2034	27,671,195	2.44%
2033	27,011,974	2.49%
2032	26,356,580	2.54%
2031	25,702,812	2.58%
2030	25,055,216	2.62%
2029	24,414,405	2.66%
2028	23,780,809	2.72%
2027	23,151,479	2.76%
2026	22,529,742	2.79%
2025	21,918,187	2.83%
2024	21,314,956	2.85%
2023	20,723,965	2.83%
2022	20,152,938	2.8%
2021	19,603,607	2.86%
2020	19,059,395	2.95%
2019	18,513,839	3.01%
2018	17,973,569	3.05%
2017	17,441,320	3.12%
2016	16,914,423	3.14%
2015	16,399,089	3.17%
2014	15,895,315	3.22%
2013	15,398,997	3.25%
2012	14,913,629	3.3%
2011	14,437,796	3.38%
2010	13,965,594	3.52%
2009	13,490,389	3.6%
2008	13,021,324	3.63%
2007	12,565,085	3.59%
2006	12,129,553	3.5%
2005	11,718,819	3.36%
2004	11,338,198	3.23%
2003	10,983,595	3.15%
2002	10,647,949	3.13%
2001	10,325,185	3.07%
2000	10,017,631	2.85%
1999	9,740,005	2.72%
1998	9,482,408	2.66%
1997	9,237,063	2.59%
1996	9,004,053	2.48%
1995	8,785,763	2.44%
1994	8,576,269	2.42%
1993	8,373,921	2.41%
1992	8,176,680	2.44%
1991	7,981,650	2.51%
1990	7,786,169	2.6%
1989	7,589,216	2.68%
1988	7,391,440	2.78%
1987	7,191,282	2.93%
1986	6,986,471	3.03%
1985	6,780,953	3.05%
1984	6,580,490	3.13%
1983	6,381,038	3.28%
1982	6,178,637	3.26%
1981	5,983,289	3.11%
1980	5,802,833	3.04%
1979	5,631,728	3.04%
1978	5,465,374	3.07%
1977	5,302,480	3.08%
1976	5,143,842	3.08%
1975	4,990,086	3.04%
1974	4,842,746	2.98%
1973	4,702,693	2.92%
1972	4,569,309	2.85%
1971	4,442,525	2.8%
1970	4,321,718	2.97%
1969	4,197,116	3.24%
1968	4,065,593	3.28%
1967	3,936,343	3.26%
1966	3,812,003	3.25%
1965	3,692,086	3.22%
1964	3,577,017	3.21%
1963	3,465,907	3.21%
1962	3,358,099	3.2%
1961	3,254,086	3.18%
1960	3,153,729	-

Data sources: United Nations | World Population Prospects (2025–2100, retrieved 2026-03-10); World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/zambia | CC BY

Zambia has a population of 22.7M as of 2026, compared to 16.9M in 2016, 12.1M in 2006, and 9M in 1996.

Over the past 10 years, the population has had a trend to increase by an average of 3.42% per year. Zambia is ranked 14th out of 197 countries by a 10-year average growth rate.

The UN's World Population Prospects forecasts that with changing growth rate trends in 20 years (in 2046) Zambia will have 35,645,868 people (57% growth) with a rank change from 62nd to 54th.

By the year 2100, Zambia's population is projected to grow by 187.3% from its current level to 65.2M people.

Natural change and net migration by year

1x

Year	Population change
Year	Total	Natural	Net migration
2025	-	-	6,562
2024	-	-	7,381
2023	587,181	577,660	9,521
2022	554,890	563,456	-8,566
2021	543,772	535,629	8,143
2020	544,640	536,484	8,156
2019	546,474	528,089	18,385
2018	534,075	515,644	18,431
2017	530,419	504,630	25,789
2016	523,381	497,521	25,860
2015	507,282	491,021	16,261
2014	500,237	483,663	16,574
2013	492,388	476,846	15,542
2012	478,364	469,406	8,958
2011	473,312	459,743	13,569
2010	471,098	448,337	22,761
2009	479,325	434,458	44,867
2008	458,809	419,560	39,249
2007	453,674	403,729	49,945
2006	417,408	387,891	29,517
2005	404,072	368,756	35,316
2004	357,171	349,352	7,819
2003	352,034	331,189	20,845
2002	319,247	316,041	3,206
2001	326,264	302,682	23,582
2000	288,848	293,186	-4,338
1999	266,409	283,297	-16,888
1998	248,772	275,568	-26,796
1997	241,922	268,198	-26,276
1996	224,110	262,468	-38,358
1995	212,474	257,897	-45,423
1994	206,519	252,023	-45,504
1993	198,178	245,917	-47,739
1992	196,297	239,953	-43,656
1991	193,754	237,957	-44,203
1990	197,216	235,835	-38,619
1989	196,693	233,429	-36,736
1988	198,848	230,118	-31,270
1987	201,475	227,813	-26,338
1986	208,158	224,768	-16,610
1985	202,877	221,351	-18,474
1984	198,043	216,695	-18,652
1983	200,863	212,712	-11,849
1982	203,945	207,621	-3,676
1981	186,750	202,822	-16,072
1980	174,153	198,817	-24,664
1979	168,063	197,578	-29,515
1978	164,649	194,933	-30,284
1977	161,134	191,557	-30,423
1976	156,150	186,762	-30,612
1975	151,372	182,258	-30,886
1974	143,306	174,484	-31,178
1973	136,786	168,258	-31,472
1972	129,976	161,648	-31,672
1971	123,598	155,249	-31,651
1970	118,010	149,380	-31,370
1969	131,191	142,660	-11,469
1968	131,868	137,315	-5,447
1967	126,640	131,938	-5,298
1966	122,035	127,164	-5,129
1965	117,791	122,814	-5,023
1964	112,346	117,197	-4,851
1963	109,879	114,555	-4,676
1962	105,745	110,173	-4,428
1961	102,275	106,318	-4,043
1960	98,437	102,335	-3,898

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/zambia | CC BY

Over the last 10 years, 97.4% of the population change in Zambia is from natural causes (a gain of 5,233,797 people) and 2.58% is from migration (a gain of 138,554 people).

As of 2024, 249,205 residents or 1.2% of the population were not native-born in Zambia, compared to 149,962 and 1.1% in 2010.

Zambia population clock

	Zambia	Rank
Current population	22697916	62/197
Percent of world population	0.27%	62/197
One net population change	53.4 seconds	38/197
One birth every	46 seconds	44/196
One death every	4.87 minutes	80/196
Daily growth/decline	+1,619	38/197
Annual growth/decline	+590,991	38/197
Annual growth/decline rate	+2.85%	21/197
One migration net change every	1.34 hours	47/196
Annual migration change	+6,562	47/196
Foreign-born residents	249,205	105/195
Foreign-born share of population	1.2%	150/195

Largest cities by population

Zambia
City	Population
Lusaka	2.47M
Kitwe	625K
Ndola	528K
Chingola	255K
Mufulira	182K
Livingstone	177K
Kasama	158K
Kapiri Mposhi	65.2K
Choma	51.8K

Zambia population statistics

	Zambia	World
Life expectancy	66.9 years	73.8 years
Average age	22.6 years	33.8 years
Median age	18.8 years	31.6 years
Male:Female ratio	49.5:50.5	50.3:49.7
Fertility rate	4.1 births per woman	2.2 births per woman
Population density	78.5 ppl/mi²	144 ppl/mi²

More about the demographics of Zambia.

Population map with other countries

1x

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1960–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); U.S. Census Bureau (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).

GeoRank.org/population/zambia | CC BY