Annual change in population in Zambia

Zambia: Annual change in population was 571,032 people in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
571,032 people
Change on year
up 4.0%
World rank
37th
of 236 countries
All-time high
571,032 people
in 2023
All-time low
71,996 people
in 1951
Years of data
73
1951–2023

Annual change in population in Zambia, 1951–2023

100.0k200.0k300.0k400.0k500.0k600.0k195119872023

Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.

Analysis

The most recent figure for annual change in population in Zambia is 571,032 people, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 73 years on record.

The figure is up 4.0% on the previous year and up 17.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, annual change in population in Zambia peaked at 571,032 people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 71,996 people, in 1951.

Zambia ranks 37th of 236 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 81,750 people 71,996 people 93,184 people 9
1960s 114,006 people 96,674 people 131,516 people 10
1970s 143,462 people 120,802 people 166,355 people 10
1980s 195,749 people 171,107 people 205,522 people 10
1990s 215,079 people 195,024 people 257,599 people 10
2000s 375,038 people 277,620 people 469,068 people 10
2010s 502,344 people 472,204 people 540,265 people 10
2020s 552,532 people 544,216 people 571,032 people 4

Countries ranked near Zambia

  1. 34 Sudan 659,456 people compare
  2. 35 Ghana 638,764 people compare
  3. 36 Colombia 583,208 people compare
  4. 38 Somalia 556,727 people compare
  5. 39 Malawi 535,749 people compare
  6. 40 Burkina Faso 516,739 people compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for Zambia

All data for Zambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is annual change in population in Zambia?
Annual change in population in Zambia was 571,032 people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest annual change in population recorded in Zambia?
The highest recorded value was 571,032 people in 2023.
What is the lowest annual change in population recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was 71,996 people in 1951.
How does Zambia rank for annual change in population?
Zambia ranks 37th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is annual change in population rising or falling in Zambia?
Over the last ten years it is up 17.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Zambia data come from?
The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual change in population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 73 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Annual change in population
Unit
people
Source
UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 17,228 data points, 1951–2023
Last refreshed

Annual change in population, calculated as the difference between population on 1 July of consecutive years.