Demographics of Zambia

Girl in a small village on the road between the town Kafue in the south and the capital city Lusaka – Zambia

This article is about the demographic features of the population of Zambia, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.

Zambia's population comprises more than 70 Bantu-speaking ethnic groups. Some ethnic groups are small, and only two have enough people to constitute at least 10% of the population. The majority of Zambians are subsistence farmers, but the country is also fairly urbanised, with 42% of the population being city residents. The predominant religion is a blend of traditional beliefs and Christianity.

Expatriates, mostly British or South African, as well as some white Zambian citizens (about 120,000), live mainly in Lusaka and in the Copperbelt in northern Zambia, where they are either employed in mines, financial and related activities or retired. Zambia also has a small but economically important Asian population, most of whom are Indian Muslims.

CIA World Factbook demographic statistics

Demographics of Zambia, Data of FAO, year 2005 ; Number of inhabitants in thousands.

The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.

Population

Year	Population (July est.)	Growth rate (est.)
2010	12,056,923	+1.64%
2009	11,862,740	+1.66%
2008	11,669,534	+1.67%
2007	11,477,447	-0.21%
2006	11,502,010	+2.13%
2005	11,261,795	+7.64%
2004	10,462,436	+1.51%
2003	10,307,333	N/A
2000	9,582,418	N/A

note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected.

Source: CIA Factbooks 2000-2010.

Birth / Death / Net Migration Rates

Year	Birth rate (est.): births/1000 pop.	Death rate (est.): deaths/1000 pop.	Net migration rate (est.): migrants/1000 pop.
2010	39.93	21.15	-2.61
2009	40.24	21.34	-2.5
2008	40.52	21.35	-2.63
2007	40.78	21.46	-2.68
2006	41	19.93	0
2005	41.38	20.23	0
2004	38.99	24.35	0
2003	39.53	24.3	N/A
2000	41.9	22.08	-0.33

Source: CIA Factbooks 2000–2010.

Age structure

Year	0–14 years: (male)	0–14 years: (female)	0–14 years: (% total)	15–64 years (male):	15–64 years (female):	15–64 years (% total):	65 years & over (male):	65 years & over (female):	65 years & over (% total):
2010	2,710,947	2,685,181	44.8%	3,199,685	3,180,292	52.9%	113,299	167,519	2.3%
2009	2,685,142	2,659,771	45.1	3,122,305	3,116,846	52.6%	114,477	164,199	2.3%
2008	2,659,572	2,634,379	45.4%	3,045,536	3,053,465	52.3%	115,662	160,920	2.4%
2007	2,633,578	2,608,714	45.7%	2,969,913	2,990,923	51.9%	116,818	157,501	2.4%
2006	2,673,891	2,656,268	46.3%	2,925,910	2,969,324	51.3%	117,877	158,740	2.4%
2005	2,626,911	2,609,857	46.5%	2,848,402	2,904,376	51.1%	118,043	154,206	2.4%
2004	2,419,361	2,401,538	46.1%	2,684,001	2,667,528	51.1%	132,166	157,842	2.8%
2003	2,396,313	2,378,567	46.3%	2,626,961	2,621,818	50.9%	131,196	152,478	2.8%
2000	2,290,559	2,270,945	48%	2,369,317	2,413,070	50%	105,443	133,084	2%

Median age

total: 17.2 years

male: 17.1 years

female: 17.3 years (2010 est.)

total: 16.46 years

male: 16.26 years

female: 16.67 years (2005 est.)

total: 16.5 years

male: 16.4 years

female: 16.6 years (2002)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female

total population: 1 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female

total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female

total population: 1 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

at birth:1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years:1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years:0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over:0.79 male(s)/female

total population:0.99 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 99.92 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 104.67 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 95.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)

total: 88.29 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 95.63 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 80.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

total: 99.29 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 91.77 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 106.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

total 92.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 52.03 years

male: 50.81 years

female: 53.28 years (2010 est.)

total population: 39.7 years

male: 39.43 years

female: 39.98 years (2005 est.)

total population: 35.25 years

male: 35.25 years

female: 35.25 years (2003 est.)

total population:37.24 years

male:37.08 years

female:37.41 years (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.07 children born/woman (2010 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

Main article: HIV/AIDS in Zambia

15.2% (2007 est.)

16.5% (2003 est.)

21.5% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

1.1 million (2007 est.)

920,000 (2003 est.)

1.2 million (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

56,000 (2007 est.)

89,000 (2003 est.)

120,000 (2001 est.)

Nationality

noun:Zambian(s)

adjective:Zambian

Ethnic groups

African: 95% (includes Bemba, Tonga, Chewa, Lozi, Nsenga, Tumbuka, Ngoni, Lala, Kaonde, Lunda, and other African groups)
Other: 5% (includes Europeans, Asians, and Americans)

(2000 Census)

Religions

Christian 87%, Muslim and Hindu 1%, indigenous beliefs and other 12%^[1]

Languages

English (official), major vernaculars - Bemba, Kaonde, Lozi, Lunda, Luvale, Nyanja, Tonga, and about 70 other indigenous languages (Ambo - Aushi - Bisa - Chikunda - Cishinga - Chokwe - Gova - Ila - Inamwanga - Iwa - Kabende - Kosa - Kunda - Kwandi - Kwandu - Kwangwa - Lala - Lamba - Lenje - Leya - Lima - Liyuwa - Luano - Lucazi - Lumbu - Lundwe - Lungu - Lunda - Makoma - Mambwe - Mashasha - Mashi - Mbowe - Mbukushu - Mbumi - Mbunda - Mbwela - Mukulu - Mulonga - Ndembu - Ng'umbo - Nkoya - Nsenga - Nyengo - Nyiha - Sala - Seba - Senga - Shanjo - Shila - Simaa - Soli - Subiya - Swaka - Tabwa - Tambo - Toka - Totela - Tumbuka - Twa - Unga - Wandya - Yombe)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write English

total population: 80.6%

male: 86.8%

female: 74.8% (2003 est.)

total population: 78.2%

male: 85.6%

female: 71.3% (1995 est.)

References

1. ^ International Religious Freedom Report 2010 - Zambia

See also

• Languages of Zambia
• Cultures of Zambia
• History of Church activities in Zambia