Population by income level in Zambia

Zambia: Population by income level was 21.91 million in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
21.91 million
Change on year
up 2.8%
World rank
61st
of 215 countries
All-time high
21.91 million
in 2025
All-time low
3.15 million
in 1960
Years of data
66
1960–2025

Population by income level in Zambia, 1960–2025

5.0M10.0M15.0M20.0M196019922025

Source: United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

Zambia recorded 21.91 million for population by income level in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.8% on the previous year and up 33.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, population by income level in Zambia peaked at 21.91 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 3.15 million, in 1960.

Zambia ranks 61st of 215 countries on this measure, 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

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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

  1. 58 Mali 25.20 million compare
  2. 59 Burkina Faso 24.07 million compare
  3. 60 Malawi 22.22 million compare
  4. 62 Sri Lanka 21.76 million compare
  5. 63 Chad 21.00 million compare
  6. 64 Kazakhstan 20.84 million compare

See the full ranking of 215 places →

More population data for Zambia

All data for Zambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is population by income level in Zambia?
Population by income level in Zambia was 21.91 million in 2025, according to United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest population by income level recorded in Zambia?
The highest recorded value was 21.91 million in 2025.
What is the lowest population by income level recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was 3.15 million in 1960.
How does Zambia rank for population by income level?
Zambia ranks 61st out of 215 countries with data for 2025.
Is population by income level 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 United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Population by income level. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Population by income level
Source
United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
215 places, 14,160 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Total population, differentiated by World Bank income level.