Total population in Zambia
Zambia: Total population was 21,612 thousands in 2025. β² Rising
Total population in Zambia, 1970β2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in thousands.
Analysis
In 2025, total population in Zambia stood at 21,612 thousands. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.8% on the previous year and up 33.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total population in Zambia peaked at 21,612 thousands in 2025 and was at its lowest, 4,263 thousands, in 1970.
That places Zambia 61st out of 230 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4,869 thousands | 4,263 thousands | 5,548 thousands | 10 |
| 1980s | 6,588 thousands | 5,716 thousands | 7,491 thousands | 10 |
| 1990s | 8,605 thousands | 7,688 thousands | 9,607 thousands | 10 |
| 2000s | 11,431 thousands | 9,873 thousands | 13,251 thousands | 10 |
| 2010s | 15,932 thousands | 13,730 thousands | 18,241 thousands | 10 |
| 2020s | 20,176 thousands | 18,787 thousands | 21,612 thousands | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More population data for Zambia
- Population growth rate by level of development 0.516 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 4.60 million (2100)
- Population density 86.73 (2100)
- Population growth rate 0.516 (2100)
- Fertility and wanted fertility 4.04 (2024)
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum 79,275 (2024)
- Fertility vs unmet contraception 4.04 (2024)
- Fertility vs contraception 4.04 (2024)
- Natural population growth 2.79 (2023)
- Fertility rate with projections 4.1 (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total population in Zambia?
- Total population in Zambia was 21,612 thousands in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest total population recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 21,612 thousands in 2025.
- What is the lowest total population recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 4,263 thousands in 1970.
- How does Zambia rank for total population?
- Zambia ranks 61st out of 230 countries with data for 2025.
- Is total population rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 33.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Total population (thousands). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV Β· JSON β 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release