Cities: United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects 2025 (CC BY 3.0 IGO), size by population · sources and licences
Largest cities
33 cities of 50,000+
#
City
Population 2025
1975
2050*
1
Lusaka (capital)
3,510,723
218,902
6,550,068
2
Kitwe
678,749
63,774
1,011,387
3
Ndola
535,108
87,640
743,780
4
Mansa
335,503
-
528,028
5
Chingola
294,193
-
414,190
6
Kabwe
267,618
-
582,180
7
Kasama
233,587
-
388,569
8
Livingstone
203,972
-
329,578
9
Chipata
197,310
-
289,927
10
Mufulira
173,181
104,595
249,358
Cities as urban centres under the UN Degree of Urbanisation, not municipal boundaries. * UN projection.
Source: United Nations, DESA, Population Division (2025). World Urbanization Prospects 2025, CC BY 3.0 IGO.Sources and licences
Over time
vs world and Africa median
Life expectancy at birth
years · 1960-2024
Zambia
World
Africa median
Fertility rate
1960-2024
Zambia
World
Africa median
GDP per capita
US$ · 1960-2025
Zambia
World
Africa median
Unemployment rate (modelled ILO estimate)
% · 1991-2025
Zambia
World
Africa median
Individuals using the internet
% · 2005-2024
Zambia
World
Africa median
CO₂ emissions per capita (excluding land use)
t · 1970-2024
Zambia
World
Africa median
Population outlook
UN World Population Prospects
Population, 2026
22.5 mn
2050: 38.1 mn · 2100: 64.5 mn
peak 64.5 mn in 2100
Median age
18.2 years
2050: 23.6 years
Aged 65 and over
2.1 %
2050: 4.8 %
Dependency ratio
74
per 100 aged 15-64 · 2050: 58
Age structure
% of population · men left, women right
* UN projection, medium variant. Scale is the same for all years.
Population, 1950-2100
millions
Median age, 1950-2100
years
People aged 65 and over, 1950-2100
% of population
Dependency ratio, 1950-2100
per 100 people aged 15-64
Estimates until 2023, then the UN medium-variant projection (dashed).
The dependency ratio is the number of children (0-14) and older people (65+) per 100 people
of working age (15-64). Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs,
Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024, licensed under
CC BY 3.0 IGO;
ratios and shares computed by StatsNode. Sources and licences.
World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), ILO modelled estimates, FAO (FAOSTAT), UNDP (Human Development Report),
UNHCR Refugee Population Statistics Database, Ember (electricity), the Global Carbon Project (CO₂) and the
UN World Population Prospects and World Urbanization Prospects, under CC BY 4.0 and CC BY 3.0 IGO. Many World Bank series come from other
organisations (ILO, IMF, WHO); each indicator page names the original source.
Sources and licences.
Ranks are computed in the latest year for which at least half of the countries have
a value. Where less is better (unemployment, emissions), the lowest value ranks first.
The continent figure is the median of its countries.
