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COUNTRY PROFILE / ZMB

Zambia

Zambia / ZM

01 / BASIC INFORMATION

Zambia in numbers.

Area752,610 kmยฒWorld # 38 โ†’Population21.9MWorld # 61 โ†’Population density29.1 people/kmยฒWorld # 169 โ†’Life expectancy66.5 yearsWorld # 179 โ†’GDP per capitaUS$ 1,318World # 186 โ†’

02 / ALL RANKINGS

Zambia across 51 rankings.

Essentials

Area752,610 kmยฒWorld # 38 / 2023 โ†’Population21.9MWorld # 61 / 2025 โ†’Population density29.1 people/kmยฒWorld # 169 / Population 2025 ยท area 2023 โ†’Independence / founding reference year1,964World # 67 / CIA World Factbook 2025 archive โ†’

People & society

Population growth2.8%World # 19 / 2025 โ†’Total fertility rate4World # 25 / 2024 โ†’Birth rate32.7 per 1,000 peopleWorld # 19 / 2024 โ†’Death rate5.2 per 1,000 peopleWorld # 186 / 2024 โ†’Median age17.5 yearsWorld # 221 / 2023 โ†’Population aged 65+2%World # 213 / 2025 โ†’Population aged 0โ€“1441%World # 18 / 2025 โ†’Urban population45.9%World # 158 / 2025 โ†’Net migration6.6KWorld # 47 / 2025 โ†’Net migration rate0.3 per 1,000 peopleWorld # 79 / 2025 โ†’International migrant share1.2%World # 169 / 2024 โ†’

Health

Life expectancy66.5 yearsWorld # 179 / 2024 โ†’Healthy life expectancy53 yearsWorld # 172 / 2021 โ†’Physicians per 1,000 people0.3 per 1,000 peopleWorld # 149 / 2022 โ†’Smoking rate14.3%World # 106 / 2024 โ†’

Economy & work

GDP per capitaUS$ 1,318World # 186 / 2025 โ†’Nominal GDPUS$ 28.9BWorld # 117 / 2025 โ†’GDP per capita (PPP)US$ 4,379World # 173 / 2025 โ†’Real GDP growth3.8%World # 87 / 2025 โ†’Inflation13.9%World # 17 / 2025 โ†’Unemployment5.9%World # 79 / 2025 โ†’Youth unemployment10.5%World # 110 / 2025 โ†’Average annual working hours2,200 hours/yearWorld # 27 / 2023 โ†’Average sleep timeNo dataNo rank โ†’Income inequality (Gini index)51.5World # 6 / 2022 โ†’

Education & science

Education spending (% of GDP)4.1%World # 101 / 2023 โ†’Researchers per million peopleNo dataNo rank โ†’R&D spending (% of GDP)No dataNo rank โ†’Patent applications per million people0.6 per million peopleWorld # 126 / 2021 โ†’

Food & agriculture

Calorie supply per person2,170 kcal/dayWorld # 179 / 2023 โ†’Meat supply per person17.6 kg/person/yearWorld # 157 / 2023 โ†’Rice production24.6K tWorld # 91 / 2024 โ†’Wheat production198.9K tWorld # 73 / 2024 โ†’Coffee production8.8K tWorld # 37 / 2024 โ†’Coffee consumption per personNo dataNo rank โ†’

Environment & digital

Forest area59.5%World # 28 / 2023 โ†’Electricity use per person727 kWh/personWorld # 117 / 2023 โ†’COโ‚‚ emissions per person0.6 tWorld # 178 / 2024 โ†’Internet use17.1%World # 200 / 2024 โ†’Mobile subscriptions108.7 per 100 peopleWorld # 122 / 2024 โ†’

Safety & politics

Homicide rate5.2 per 100,000 peopleWorld # 63 / 2015 โ†’Road traffic death rate20.5 per 100,000 peopleWorld # 68 / 2019 โ†’Military spending (% of GDP)1.3%World # 96 / 2024 โ†’Women in parliament15%World # 150 / 2025 โ†’

Travel & culture

International tourist arrivals502KWorld # 125 / 2020 โ†’International tourism receiptsNo dataNo rank โ†’World Heritage sites1 sitesWorld # 138 / 2026-07 โ†’

03 / CULTURE & INDUSTRY

Society, culture and industry.

Largest religious groupChristianity2010 / 95.5%Main languagebemMain functional languageLeading electricity sourceHydro2024Top export categoryMetal products2023Most mapped OSM sportFootball and futsal2,665 facilities countedWriting directionLeft to rightbemLargest staple-food calorie sourceMaize2023Current currencyZambian KwachaZMWDriving sideLeft-hand trafficSide of the road used by trafficCountry-name originPlaces and landformsZambezi River