World Factbook
Zambia
Republic of Zambia
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Literacy
male
81.7% (2018 est.)
female
62.2% (2018 est.)
total population
71.1% (2018 est.)
Languages
Bemba 33.4%, Nyanja 14.7%, Tonga 11.4%, Lozi 5.5%, Chewa 4.5%, Nsenga 2.9%, Tumbuka 2.5%, Lunda (North Western) 1.9%, Kaonde 1.8%, Lala 1.8%, Lamba 1.8%, English (official) 1.7%, Luvale 1.5%, Mambwe 1.3%, Namwanga 1.2%, Lenje 1.1%, Bisa 1%, other 9.7%, unspecified 0.2% (2010 est.)
note: Zambia is said to have over 70 languages, although many of these may be considered dialects; all of Zambia's major languages are members of the Bantu family; Chewa and Nyanja are mutually intelligible dialects
Religions
Protestant 75.3%, Roman Catholic 20.2%, other 2.7% (includes Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, and Baha'i), none 1.8% (2010 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years
1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years
1 male(s)/female
total population
1 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
65 years and over
0.82 male(s)/female
Birth rate
29.6 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate
4.91 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median age
male
18.2 years
total
19 years (2025 est.)
female
18.6 years
Population
male
11,066,079
total
22,021,971 (2025 est.)
female
10,955,892
Nationality
noun
Zambian(s)
adjective
Zambian
Tobacco use
male
21.4% (2025 est.)
total
11.7% (2025 est.)
female
2.4% (2025 est.)
Urbanization
urban population
46.3% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization
4.15% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
42.1% (male 4,418,980/female 4,337,187)
15-64 years
55.1% (male 5,726,265/female 5,736,732)
65 years and over
2.8% (2024 est.) (male 262,008/female 317,944)
Ethnic groups
Bemba 21%, Tonga 13.6%, Chewa 7.4%, Lozi 5.7%, Nsenga 5.3%, Tumbuka 4.4%, Ngoni 4%, Lala 3.1%, Kaonde 2.9%, Namwanga 2.8%, Lunda (north Western) 2.6%, Mambwe 2.5%, Luvale 2.2%, Lamba 2.1%, Ushi 1.9%, Lenje 1.6%, Bisa 1.6%, Mbunda 1.2%, other 13.8%, unspecified 0.4% (2010 est.)
Child marriage
men married by age 18
2.8% (2018)
women married by age 15
5.2% (2018)
women married by age 18
29% (2018)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio
75.8 (2025 est.)
youth dependency ratio
71.3 (2025 est.)
potential support ratio
22.3 (2025 est.)
elderly dependency ratio
4.5 (2025 est.)
Physician density
0.32 physicians/1,000 population (2022)
Health expenditure
Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
6.6% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
8.9% of national budget (2022 est.)
Net migration rate
0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Total fertility rate
3.67 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Drinking water source
improved: rural
rural: 51.1% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total
total: 68.2% of population (2022 est.)
improved: urban
urban: 88.6% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural
rural: 48.9% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total
total: 31.8% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban
urban: 11.4% of population (2022 est.)
Education expenditure
Education expenditure (% GDP)
4.1% of GDP (2023 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget)
14.5% national budget (2025 est.)
Infant mortality rate
male
38.9 deaths/1,000 live births
total
30.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
female
32.1 deaths/1,000 live births
Population growth rate
2.51% (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate
1.81 (2025 est.)
Population distribution
one of the highest levels of urbanization in Africa; high density in the central area, particularly around the cities of Lusaka, Ndola, Kitwe, and Mufulira, as shown in this population distribution map
Life expectancy at birth
male
65.2 years
female
68.7 years
total population
66.9 years (2024 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio
85 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Sanitation facility access
improved: rural
rural: 40.9% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total
total: 57.9% of population (2022 est.)
improved: urban
urban: 78.1% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural
rural: 59.1% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total
total: 42.1% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban
urban: 21.9% of population (2022 est.)
Alcohol consumption per capita
beer
1.26 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine
0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
total
3.82 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits
0.36 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols
2.16 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Major urban areas - population
3.181 million LUSAKA (capital), 763,000 Kitwe (2023)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
8.1% (2016)
Mother's mean age at first birth
19.2 years (2018 est.)
note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
55.7% (2018 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
11.8% (2018 est.)