Tanzania vs Zambia: Urban population

Urban population in 2025: 36.9% in Tanzania and 45.9% in Zambia, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Zambia, by 9 percentage points, or 1.25 times that in Tanzania.

Watch it change on the map

% of people · UN

TanzaniaZambiaUN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025)

What the numbers say

Zambia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
In 2025, Tanzania ranked 189 and Zambia ranked 166 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Tanzania at 62.4% and Zambia at 59.1% in 2050.

Every year

% of people · UN

Year	Tanzania	Zambia
2025	36.9	45.9
2024	36.2	45.5
2023	35.5	45
2022	34.8	44.6
2021	34.4	44.2
2020	33.9	43.9
2019	33.4	43.5
2018	32.8	43.1
2017	32.3	42.7
2016	31.8	42.3
2015	31.2	42
2014	30.6	41.6
2013	30.1	41.2
2012	29.5	40.8
2011	28.9	40.4
2010	28.2	40
2009	27.5	39.5
2008	26.8	39
2007	26.1	38.4
2006	25.4	37.8
2005	24.7	37.3
2004	24.1	36.8
2003	23.5	36.4
2002	23	36.1
2001	22.6	35.9
2000	22.2	35.9
1999	21.8	36.2
1998	21.5	36.7
1997	21.1	37.4
1996	20.8	38
1995	20.5	38.4
1994	20.2	38.7
1993	19.9	38.9
1992	19.6	39.1
1991	19.3	39.3
1990	18.9	39.4
1989	18.6	39.5
1988	18.2	39.5
1987	17.8	39.6
1986	17.4	39.7
1985	17	39.7
1984	16.6	39.8
1983	16.2	39.8
1982	15.7	39.9
1981	15.3	39.9
1980	14.8	39.9
1979	14.3	39.7
1978	13.7	39.3
1977	13	38.6
1976	12.1	37.8
1975	11.2	36.8
1974	10.1	35.7
1973	9.1	34.4
1972	8	33.2
1971	7.1	31.9
1970	6.3	30.7
1969	5.6	29.4
1968	5.2	28
1967	5	26.4
1966	5	24.6
1965	5	22.9
1964	5	21.3
1963	4.9	20.1
1962	4.9	19.1
1961	4.9	18.2
1960	4.9	17.2
1959	4.9	16.3
1958	4.8	15.5
1957	4.8	14.7
1956	4.7	14
1955	4.6	13.3
1954	4.5	12.7
1953	4.3	12.3
1952	4.1	11.9
1951	3.9	11.6
1950	3.7	11.5

UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050

Year	Tanzania	Zambia
2026	37.6	46.4
2027	38.4	46.8
2028	39.2	47.3
2029	40	47.8
2030	40.8	48.2
2031	41.7	48.7
2032	42.5	49.2
2033	43.4	49.7
2034	44.4	50.2
2035	45.3	50.7
2036	46.3	51.2
2037	47.3	51.7
2038	48.3	52.3
2039	49.3	52.8
2040	50.4	53.3
2041	51.5	53.9
2042	52.6	54.4
2043	53.7	55
2044	54.9	55.5
2045	56.1	56.1
2046	57.3	56.7
2047	58.5	57.3
2048	59.8	57.9
2049	61.1	58.5
2050	62.4	59.1

Each country on its own

Good to know

The share of people living in places the country itself counts as urban.
Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025.
The dashed line is the UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025), a scenario rather than a forecast.
Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time

Tanzania vs Zambia: Urban population

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

Good to know

Tanzania vs Zambia

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Military

Climate

Technology and environment