Population and Demographics

Zambia's population comprises over 70 ethnic groups (mostly Bantu-speaking). However, almost 90% of Zambians belong to the 9 main ethnolinguistic groups: the Bemba, Nyanja-Chewa, Tonga, Tumbuka, Lunda, Luvale, Kaonde, Nkoya and Lozi. In the rural areas, each ethnic group is concentrated in a particular geographic region of the country and many groups are very small and not as well known. However, in Lusaka and the Copperbelt, all the ethnic groups can be found in good proportions.

The country is 44% urban. Most rural Zambians are subsistence farmers. The predominant religion is Christianity which is also the official national religion. Expatriates, mostly British (about 15,000) or South African, live mainly in Lusaka and in the Copperbelt in northern Zambia, where they are employed in mines and related activities. Zambia also has a small but economically important Asian population, most of whom are Indians. In recent years, over 300 dispossessed white farmers left Zimbabwe at the invitation of the Zambian government and have taken up farming in the southern region.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic is ravaging Zambia. Nearly one million Zambians are HIV positive or have AIDS. An estimated 100,000 died of the epidemic in 2004. Over a half-million Zambian children have been orphaned. Life expectancy at birth is just approximately 40 years of age.

Facts and Figures

• Population: 11,502,010
• Age Structure:
  • 0-14 years: 46.3% (male 2,673,891/female 2,656,268)
  • 15-64 years: 51.3% (male 2,925,910/female 2,969,324)
  • 65 years and over: 2.4% (male 117,877/female 158,740)
• Median Age:
  • Total: 16.5 years
  • Male: 16.3 years
  • Female: 16.7 years
• Population Growth Rate: 2.11%
• Birth Rate: 41 births/1,000 population
• Death Rate: 19.93 deaths/1,000 population
• Net Migration Rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
• Sex Ratio:
  • At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  • Under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  • 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  • 65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
  • Total population: 0.99 male(s)/female
• Infant Mortality Rate:
  • Total: 86.84 deaths/1,000 live births
  • Male: 94.08 deaths/1,000 live births
  • Female: 79.37 deaths/1,000 live births
• Life Expectancy at Birth:
  • Total population: 40.03 years
  • Male: 39.76 years
  • Female: 40.31 years
• Total Fertility Rate: 5.39 children born/woman
• HIV/AIDS
  • Adult prevalence rate: 16.5%
  • People living with HIV/AIDS: 920,000
• Ethnic Groups:
  • African 98.7%
  • European 1.1%
  • Other 0.2%
• Religions:
  • Christian 50%-75%
  • Muslim and Hindu 24%-49%
  • Indigenous beliefs 1%
• Languages:
  • English (official)
  • Major vernaculars:
    • Bemba
    • Kaonda
    • Lozi
    • Lunda
    • Luvale
    • Nyanja
    • Tonga
  • 70 other indigenous languages
• Literacy:
  • Total population: 80.6%
  • Male: 86.8%
  • Female: 74.8%