Population, total in Zambia
Zambia: Population, total was 21.91 million in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Population, total in Zambia, 1960–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN).
Analysis
The most recent figure for population, total in Zambia is 21.91 million, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.8% on the previous year and up 33.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population, total in Zambia peaked at 21.91 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 3.15 million, in 1960.
That places Zambia 61st out of 215 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.65 million | 3.15 million | 4.20 million | 10 |
| 1970s | 4.94 million | 4.32 million | 5.63 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.69 million | 5.80 million | 7.59 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.71 million | 7.79 million | 9.74 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.62 million | 10.02 million | 13.49 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.19 million | 13.97 million | 18.51 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.46 million | 19.06 million | 21.91 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More climate change data for Zambia
- Population growth 2.8% (2025)
- Urban population growth 3.7% (2025)
- Urban population 10.06 million (2025)
- Urban population 45.9% (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 15.8% (2025)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 1.57 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 2.0% (2022)
- Terrestrial protected areas 41.3% (2025)
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas 41.3% (2025)
- CPIA public sector management and institutions cluster average 3 1=low to 6=high (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population, total in Zambia?
- Population, total in Zambia was 21.91 million in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population, total recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 21.91 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest population, total recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.15 million in 1960.
- How does Zambia rank for population, total?
- Zambia ranks 61st out of 215 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population, total rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 33.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population, total. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Total population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship. The values shown are midyear estimates.