Zambia: key statistics
Sub-Saharan Africa · Lower middle income · capital Lusaka
Zambia has a GDP of $25.3B and a GDP per capita of $1,187, with a population of about 21.3 million (World Bank, latest available year). Life expectancy is 66.5 years. Among countries with data, Zambia ranks #117 of 214 by GDP, #186 of 214 by GDP per capita, #62 of 217 by population. Full indicator table, peer countries and head-to-head comparisons are below.
Source: World Bank Open Data. Data as of June 2026.
Zambia at a glance
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (current US$) | $25.3B | 2024 |
| GDP per capita (current US$) | $1,187 | 2024 |
| Population, total | 21,314,956 | 2024 |
| Population growth (annual %) | 2.8% | 2024 |
| GDP growth (annual %) | 3.8% | 2024 |
| Inflation, consumer prices (annual %) | 15.0% | 2024 |
| Unemployment, total (% of labour force, modelled ILO) | 5.9% | 2025 |
| Life expectancy at birth, total (years) | 66.5 | 2024 |
| Individuals using the Internet (% of population) | 17.1% | 2024 |
| Urban population (% of total) | 45.5% | 2024 |
| CO2 emissions per capita (tonnes) | 0.54 | 2024 |
Source: World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). Data as of June 2026.
Each value is the most-recent year the World Bank reports for Zambia (the year column), so figures are not all from the same year. A dash (—) means no value is reported.
How Zambia ranks
- GDP: #117 of 214 ($25.3B)
- GDP per capita: #186 of 214 ($1,187)
- Population: #62 of 217 (21.3 million)
- Life expectancy: #181 of 217 (66.5 years)
Zambia vs its peers
The 6 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with the closest GDP per capita to Zambia:
| Country | GDP per capita | Population | Life expectancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zambia (this country) | $1,187 | 21.3 million | 66.5 |
| Tanzania | $1,187 | 68.6 million | 67.2 |
| Ethiopia | $1,134 | 132.1 million | 67.6 |
| Togo | $1,119 | 9.5 million | 62.9 |
| Mali | $1,095 | 24.5 million | 60.7 |
| Nigeria | $1,084 | 232.7 million | 54.6 |
| South Sudan | $1,080 | 11.9 million | 57.7 |
See every country in this region on the Sub-Saharan Africa hub.
Compare Zambia head to head
Frequently asked questions
What is the GDP of Zambia?
Zambia's GDP is $25.3B (2024) in current US dollars (World Bank). GDP per capita is $1,187 (2024). That ranks Zambia #117 of 214 economies with reported GDP.
What is the population of Zambia?
Zambia has a population of about 21.3 million (2024), per World Bank data. It is the #62 most populous of 217 countries.
What region and income group is Zambia in?
The World Bank places Zambia in the Sub-Saharan Africa region and classifies it as a lower middle income economy. Its capital is Lusaka.
How long do people live in Zambia?
Life expectancy at birth in Zambia is 66.5 years (2024, World Bank). That ranks #181 of 217.
Sources & notes
Data: World Bank Open Data, Indicators API (CC BY 4.0), retrieved June 2026. Values are each indicator's most-recent non-empty year for Zambia, so the reference year varies by indicator (shown in the table). Figures are nominal (current US$) unless noted; see our methodology. Browse all 217 countries.
Last updated: 2026-06-20