Urban population in Zambia

Urban population in Zambia: 11.5% in 1950 and 45.9% in 2025, by UN estimates.

Latest, 2025: 45.9%
Since 1950: +34.4 percentage points
Rank, 2025: 166 of 229; counting from the highest
Projected, 2050: 59.1%; UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025)

Watch it change on the map

% of people · UN

Estimates, UNUN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025)

What the numbers say

The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts it at 59.1% in 2050.

Every year

% of people · UN

Year	Zambia
2025	45.9
2024	45.5
2023	45
2022	44.6
2021	44.2
2020	43.9
2019	43.5
2018	43.1
2017	42.7
2016	42.3
2015	42
2014	41.6
2013	41.2
2012	40.8
2011	40.4
2010	40
2009	39.5
2008	39
2007	38.4
2006	37.8
2005	37.3
2004	36.8
2003	36.4
2002	36.1
2001	35.9
2000	35.9
1999	36.2
1998	36.7
1997	37.4
1996	38
1995	38.4
1994	38.7
1993	38.9
1992	39.1
1991	39.3
1990	39.4
1989	39.5
1988	39.5
1987	39.6
1986	39.7
1985	39.7
1984	39.8
1983	39.8
1982	39.9
1981	39.9
1980	39.9
1979	39.7
1978	39.3
1977	38.6
1976	37.8
1975	36.8
1974	35.7
1973	34.4
1972	33.2
1971	31.9
1970	30.7
1969	29.4
1968	28
1967	26.4
1966	24.6
1965	22.9
1964	21.3
1963	20.1
1962	19.1
1961	18.2
1960	17.2
1959	16.3
1958	15.5
1957	14.7
1956	14
1955	13.3
1954	12.7
1953	12.3
1952	11.9
1951	11.6
1950	11.5

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

Year	Zambia
2026	46.4
2027	46.8
2028	47.3
2029	47.8
2030	48.2
2031	48.7
2032	49.2
2033	49.7
2034	50.2
2035	50.7
2036	51.2
2037	51.7
2038	52.3
2039	52.8
2040	53.3
2041	53.9
2042	54.4
2043	55
2044	55.5
2045	56.1
2046	56.7
2047	57.3
2048	57.9
2049	58.5
2050	59.1

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

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