Zambia — Population growth
Population Growth (Annual %) for Zambia, 1961–2025.
Population growth for Zambia was 2.77% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 65 years, from 1961 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 3.57% in 2008. The lowest was 2.38% in 1993 (about 1.2× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -0.19% per year.
Zambia ranks 19 of 217 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 9%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 2.30%, so Zambia sits above it. It peaked in 2008 and has fallen 22% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 11%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 11 of 48 economies; Uganda (2.70%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was down 8% in 1970. That is 5% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Climbed: 37th of 216 in 1961 → 50th of 216 in 1970 → 48th of 216 in 1980 → 70th of 216 in 1990 → 31st of 217 in 2000 → 11th of 217 in 2010 → 18th of 217 in 2020 → 19th of 217 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1961 to 2025
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.77% | -0.0 pp |
| 2024 | 2.81% | +0.0 pp |
| 2023 | 2.79% | +0.0 pp |
| 2022 | 2.76% | -0.1 pp |
| 2021 | 2.82% | -0.1 pp |
| 2020 | 2.9% | -0.1 pp |
| 2019 | 2.96% | -0.0 pp |
| 2018 | 3.01% | -0.1 pp |
| 2017 | 3.07% | -0.0 pp |
| 2016 | 3.09% | -0.0 pp |
| 2015 | 3.12% | -0.1 pp |
| 2014 | 3.17% | -0.0 pp |
| 2013 | 3.2% | -0.0 pp |
| 2012 | 3.24% | -0.1 pp |
| 2011 | 3.33% | -0.1 pp |
| 2010 | 3.46% | -0.1 pp |
| 2009 | 3.54% | -0.0 pp |
| 2008 | 3.57% | +0.0 pp |
| 2007 | 3.53% | +0.1 pp |
| 2006 | 3.44% | +0.1 pp |
| 2005 | 3.3% | +0.1 pp |
| 2004 | 3.18% | +0.1 pp |
| 2003 | 3.1% | +0.0 pp |
| 2002 | 3.08% | +0.1 pp |
| 2001 | 3.02% | +0.2 pp |
| 2000 | 2.81% | +0.1 pp |
| 1999 | 2.68% | +0.1 pp |
| 1998 | 2.62% | +0.1 pp |
| 1997 | 2.55% | +0.1 pp |
| 1996 | 2.45% | +0.0 pp |
| 1995 | 2.41% | +0.0 pp |
| 1994 | 2.39% | +0.0 pp |
| 1993 | 2.38% | -0.0 pp |
| 1992 | 2.41% | -0.1 pp |
| 1991 | 2.48% | -0.1 pp |
| 1990 | 2.56% | -0.1 pp |
| 1989 | 2.64% | -0.1 pp |
| 1988 | 2.75% | -0.1 pp |
| 1987 | 2.89% | -0.1 pp |
| 1986 | 2.99% | -0.0 pp |
| 1985 | 3% | -0.1 pp |
| 1984 | 3.08% | -0.1 pp |
| 1983 | 3.22% | +0.0 pp |
| 1982 | 3.21% | +0.2 pp |
| 1981 | 3.06% | +0.1 pp |
| 1980 | 2.99% | -0.0 pp |
| 1979 | 3% | -0.0 pp |
| 1978 | 3.03% | -0.0 pp |
| 1977 | 3.04% | +0.0 pp |
| 1976 | 3.03% | +0.0 pp |
| 1975 | 3% | +0.1 pp |
| 1974 | 2.93% | +0.1 pp |
| 1973 | 2.88% | +0.1 pp |
| 1972 | 2.81% | +0.1 pp |
| 1971 | 2.76% | -0.2 pp |
| 1970 | 2.93% | -0.3 pp |
| 1969 | 3.18% | -0.0 pp |
| 1968 | 3.23% | +0.0 pp |
| 1967 | 3.21% | +0.0 pp |
| 1966 | 3.2% | +0.0 pp |
| 1965 | 3.17% | +0.0 pp |
| 1964 | 3.16% | -0.0 pp |
| 1963 | 3.16% | +0.0 pp |
| 1962 | 3.15% | +0.0 pp |
| 1961 | 3.13% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Zambia’s Population growth in 1962?
3.15% (1962). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in annual %, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Zambia’s Population growth growing or shrinking?
Between 1961 and 2025 the series was shrinking overall: -11.5% in total — about 0.2% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SP.POP.GROW. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 2.77%; 2024: 2.81%; 2023: 2.79%; 2022: 2.76%; 2021: 2.82%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SP.POP.GROW — Population Growth (Annual %). Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.