Zambia - Geography

Here, let us take a look at the Geography of Zambia. Landlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural riverine boundary with Zimbabwe; Lake Kariba on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border forms the world's largest reservoir by volume (180 cu km; 43 cu mi). Mother's mean age at first birth is 19.2 years (2018 est.) (Note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49), whereas, the Maternal mortality ratio is 135 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Geographical data of Zambia
Location Southern Africa, east of Angola, south of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Geographic coordinates 15 00 S, 30 00 E
Map references Africa
Tarrain mostly high plateau with some hills and mountains
Natural Resources copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium, hydropower
Natural Hazards periodic drought; tropical storms (November to April)
Irrigated Land 1,560 sq km (2012)
Major rivers (by length in km)

Congo river source (shared with Angola, Republic of Congo, and Democratic Republic of Congo [m]) - 4,700 km; Zambezi river source (shared with Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique [m]) - 2,740 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major aquifers Upper Kalahari-Cuvelai-Upper Zambezi Basin
Land Boundaries 6,043.15 km
Border Countries Angola 1,065 km; Botswana 0.15 km; Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,332 km; Malawi 847 km; Mozambique 439 km; Namibia 244 km; Tanzania 353 km; Zimbabwe 763 km
Coastline 0 km (landlocked)
Climate tropical; modified by altitude; rainy season (October to April)
Area
Total Area
Land Area 743,398 sq km
Water Area 9,220 sq km
comparative Area almost five times the size of Georgia; slightly larger than Texas
Maritime Claims
Elevations
Highest point Mafinga Central 2,330 m
Lowest point Zambezi river 329 m
Mean elevation 1,138 m
Land Use
Agricultural land 31.7% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land arable land: 4.8% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture permanent pasture: 26.9% (2018 est.)
Forest 66.3% (2018 est.)
Other 2% (2018 est.)
Population Distribution

One of the highest levels of urbanization in Africa; high density in the central area, particularly around the cities of Lusaka, Ndola, Kitwe, and Mufulira as shown in this population distribution map

People and Society

In Zambia, the different Ethnic groups are such that we have: Bemba 21%, Tonga 13.6%, Chewa 7.4%, Lozi 5.7%, Nsenga 5.3%, Tumbuka 4.4%, Ngoni 4%, Lala 3.1%, Kaonde 2.9%, Namwanga 2.8%, Lunda (north Western) 2.6%, Mambwe 2.5%, Luvale 2.2%, Lamba 2.1%, Ushi 1.9%, Lenje 1.6%, Bisa 1.6%, Mbunda 1.2%, other 13.8%, unspecified 0.4% (2010 est.)

Population
Pop growth rate 2.83% (2024 est.)
Birth rate 34.1 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Death rate 5.9 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Health expenditure 5.6% of GDP (2020)
Physicians Density
Hospital bed Density 2 beds/1,000 population
Total fertility rate 4.42 children born/woman (2024 est.)
Gross reproduction rate 2.18 (2024 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate 49.6% (2018)
Est married women (ages 15-49) 53.3% (2023 est.)
Literacy age 15 and over can read and write English
Education expenditures 3.7% of GDP (2020)
Net Migration rate 0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Nationality Zambian | Zambian(s)
Languages Bemba 33.4%, Nyanja 14.7%, Tonga 11.4%, Lozi 5.5%, Chewa 4.5%, Nsenga 2.9%, Tumbuka 2.5%, Lunda (North Western) 1.9%, Kaonde 1.8%, Lala 1.8%, Lamba 1.8%, English (official) 1.7%, Luvale 1.5%, Mambwe 1.3%, Namwanga 1.2%, Lenje 1.1%, Bisa 1%, other 9.7%, unspecified 0.2% (2010 est.)
Religions Protestant 75.3%, Roman Catholic 20.2%, other 2.7% (includes Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, and Baha'i), none 1.8% (2010 est.)
Age Structure
0-14 years 42.1% (male 4,418,980/female 4,337,187)
15-64 years 55.1% (male 5,726,265/female 5,736,732)
65 years and over 2.8% (2024 est.) (male 262,008/female 317,944)
Dependency Ratios
Total dependency ratio 81.8
Youth dependency ratio 78.7
Elderly dependency ratio 3.2
Potential support ratio 31.6 (2021 est.)
Median Age
Total 18.4 years (2024 est.)
Male 18.2 years
Female 18.6 years
Urbanization
Urban population 46.3% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization 4.15% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas (Pop) 3.181 million LUSAKA (capital), 763,000 Kitwe (2023).
Sex Ratio
At birth 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over 0.82 male(s)/female
Total population 1 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Infant Motality
Total 35.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male 38.9 deaths/1,000 live births
Female 32.1 deaths/1,000 live births
Life Expectancy at birth
Total population 66.9 years (2024 est.)
Male 65.2 years
Female 68.7 years
Drinking Water Sources
Improved: urban urban: 90.2% of population
Improved: rural rural: 56.6% of population
Improved: total total: 71.6% of population
Unimproved: urban urban: 9.8% of population
Unimproved: rural rural: 43.4% of population
Unimproved: total total: 28.4% of population (2020 est.)
Sanitation facility acess
Improved: urban urban: 76.3% of population
Improved: rural rural: 31.9% of population
Improved: total total: 51.7% of population
Unimproved: urban urban: 23.7% of population
Unimproved: rural rural: 68.1% of population
Unimproved: total total: 48.3% of population (2020 est.)
Major Infectious diseases
Degree of risk very high (2023)
Food or waterborne diseases bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases malaria, dengue fever, and sexually transmitted diseases: HIV/AIDS (2024)
Water contact diseases schistosomiasis
Animal contact diseases rabies
Alcohol consumption per capita
Total 3.82 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Beer 1.26 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine 0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits 0.36 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols 2.16 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Tobacco use
Total 14.4% (2020 est.)
Male 25.1% (2020 est.)
Female 3.7% (2020 est.)
Child marriage
Women married by age 15 5.2%
Women married by age 18 29%
Men married by age 18 2.8% (2018 est.)
Demographic profile

Zambia’s poor, youthful population consists primarily of Bantu-speaking people representing nearly 70 different ethnicities. Zambia’s high fertility rate continues to drive rapid population growth, averaging almost 3% annually between 2000 and 2010, and reaching over 3.3% in 2022. The country’s total fertility rate has fallen by less than 1.5 children per woman during the last 30 years and still averages among the world’s highest, almost 6 children per woman, largely because of the country’s lack of access to family planning services, education for girls, and employment for women. Zambia also exhibits wide fertility disparities based on rural or urban location, education, and income. Poor, uneducated women from rural areas are more likely to marry young, to give birth early, and to have more children, viewing children as a sign of prestige and recognizing that not all of their children will live to adulthood. HIV/AIDS is prevalent in Zambia and contributes to its low life expectancy.

Zambian emigration is low compared to many other African countries and is comprised predominantly of the well-educated. The small amount of brain drain, however, has a major impact in Zambia because of its limited human capital and lack of educational infrastructure for developing skilled professionals in key fields. For example, Zambia has few schools for training doctors, nurses, and other health care workers. Its spending on education is low compared to other Sub-Saharan countries.

All Important Facts about Zambia

Want to know more about Zambia? Check all different factbooks for Zambia below.

Zambia is found in Eastern Africa