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Zambia: cities by population

By James Burfield, SEO consultant, Bath · Page updated 18 September 2026 · UN World Population Prospects

Zambia has a population of 22,521,915 (UN estimate, 2026), with Lusaka as its capital. The 50 largest of its 98 recorded towns and cities, ranked.

+125%

since 2000 (10,017,631)

+69%

projected by 2050 (38,083,385)

people per km²

UN estimates to 2026; the dashed line is the medium-variant projection to 2050, a forecast rather than a measurement. Source: World Population Prospects 2024.

Full UN series, 1950 to 2050

Year	Population
1950	2,321,302
1975	4,990,086
2000	10,017,631
2005	11,718,819
2010	13,965,594
2015	16,399,089
2020	19,059,395
2025	21,913,874
2026	22,521,915
2030 projected	25,024,901
2050 projected	38,083,385

Medium variant. Figures from 2026 onward are projections, not measurements.

Figures are the latest available in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), which draws on national censuses of varying dates — treat them as recent, not same-year. Country totals are UN World Population Prospects 2024 (medium variant) where the UN lists the country separately; the handful it reports under a parent state keep a GeoNames figure and are marked as such. Sources & method.

Largest cities in Zambia

#	Place	Region	Population
1	Lusaka	Lusaka Province	2,212,301
2	Kitwe	Copperbelt	665,961
3	Ndola	Copperbelt	627,503
4	Chipata	Eastern Province	327,059
5	Solwezi	North-Western	301,370
6	Kabwe	Central Province	288,598
7	Chingola	Copperbelt	256,560
8	Luanshya	Copperbelt	193,293
9	Kasama	Northern Province	179,636
10	Livingstone	Southern Province	178,361
11	Mansa	Luapula Province	170,965
12	Mufulira	Copperbelt	169,136
13	Chunga	Lusaka Province	115,539
14	Chililabombwe	Copperbelt	113,876
15	Mongu	Western Province	111,450
16	Mazabuka	Southern Province	104,412
17	Kafue	Lusaka Province	104,174
18	Kalulushi	Copperbelt	104,046
19	Choma	Southern Province	98,974
20	Namalombwe	Lusaka Province	97,758
21	Nakonde	Muchinga	91,107
22	Kapiri Mposhi	Central Province	83,211
23	Madido	Lusaka Province	80,782
24	Nchelenge	Luapula Province	77,746
25	Mpika	Muchinga	63,740
26	Monze	Southern Province	60,281
27	Petauke	Eastern Province	58,156
28	Chongwe	Lusaka Province	57,443
29	Mpulungu	Northern Province	55,405
30	Chilanga Township	Lusaka Province	54,046
31	Samfya	Luapula Province	51,309
32	Mumbwa	Central Province	49,461
33	Mkushi	Central Province	45,927
34	Katete	Eastern Province	45,402
35	Lundazi	Eastern Province	45,149
36	Mbala	Northern Province	42,424
37	Chisankane	Lusaka Province	41,014
38	Kansanshi	North-Western	40,705
39	Chinsali	Muchinga	38,805
40	Kaputa	Northern Province	35,663
41	Chirundu	Southern Province	35,403
42	Chambishi	Copperbelt	34,888
43	Kaoma	Western Province	34,347
44	Isoka	Muchinga	31,739
45	Kawambwa	Luapula Province	31,161
46	Kalomo	Southern Province	30,781
47	Mporokoso	Northern Province	30,381
48	Serenje	Central Province	30,217
49	Sesheke	Western Province	29,922
50	Kasempa	North-Western	28,894

Twenty years earlier: Zambia in the 2005 World Gazetteer — population then 11,015,072.

Common questions

What is the population of Zambia?

Zambia has a population of 22,521,915, the UN World Population Prospects estimate for 2026. The UN's medium-variant projection for 2050 is 38,083,385 — a forecast, not a measurement.

What is the capital of Zambia?

Lusaka.

Go deeper

Lusaka

The largest place we record in Zambia: 2,212,301 people

Zambia in 2005

The World Gazetteer's archive edition: 11,015,072 then

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