Zambia at its true size
Zambia covers 752,618 km², number 38 of 194 countries by area. Home to 21,913,874 people (2025). Sitting near the equator, it is one of the few places Mercator gets almost right.
Equal-area projection · Natural Earth 50m
| Area | 752,618 km² Wikidata |
|---|---|
| Population | 21,913,874 World Bank, 2025 |
| Density | 29 per km² |
| Capital | Lusaka |
| Local time in Lusaka | |
| Time zone | UTC+2 IANA |
| Currency | Zambian Kwacha (ZMW) Wikidata |
| Languages | English |
| Traffic | On the left |
| Region | Eastern Africa, Africa |
| Status | Independent state |
| Coast | Landlocked |
| Calling code | +260 |
| Codes | ZM · ZMB · 894 |
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Where Zambia ranks
Among the independent states, in 42 rankings. Each links to its table.
People
- Population#62 of 19422 million people#22 of 54 in Africa
- Population density#153 of 19429 people per km²#41 of 54 in Africa
- Urban population#135 of 19246% urban#26 of 54 in Africa
- Fertility rate#25 of 1924.04 births per woman#23 of 54 in Africa
- Population growth#19 of 192+2.77% a year#11 of 54 in Africa
- Birth rate#19 of 19232.7 births per 1,000 people#17 of 54 in Africa
- Death rate#166 of 1925.2 deaths per 1,000 people#51 of 54 in Africa
- Children under 15#17 of 19241.0% under 15#16 of 54 in Africa
- People over 65#190 of 1922.0% aged 65 and over#54 of 54 in Africa
- Net migration#64 of 192+0.3 per 1,000 people#10 of 54 in Africa
- Refugees abroad#145 of 1900.02 refugees abroad per 1,000 people#48 of 54 in Africa
Health & education
Economy
- GNI per capita#164 of 185$1,200 a person#33 of 52 in Africa
- Internet users#177 of 18417% online#46 of 52 in Africa
- GDP per capita (PPP)#158 of 184$4,379 a person#30 of 52 in Africa
- GDP growth#75 of 187+3.8% a year#33 of 52 in Africa
- Inflation#16 of 176+13.9% a year#10 of 50 in Africa
- Unemployment#74 of 1785.9% of the labour force#28 of 53 in Africa
- Extreme poverty#6 of 14971.7% under $3.00 a day#6 of 47 in Africa
- Income inequality (Gini)#6 of 149a Gini index of 51.5#5 of 47 in Africa
- Jobs in agriculture#18 of 17854.5% of jobs#17 of 53 in Africa
- Jobs in industry#154 of 17810.3% of jobs#36 of 53 in Africa
- Jobs in services#156 of 17835.2% of jobs#35 of 53 in Africa
- Foreign investment#41 of 1844.5% of GDP#14 of 52 in Africa
- Exports#85 of 16835.0% of GDP#19 of 49 in Africa
- Military spending#101 of 1551.3% of GDP#28 of 50 in Africa
- Mobile subscriptions#112 of 191109 subscriptions per 100 people#23 of 54 in Africa
Energy & environment
- CO₂ per person#147 of 1850.54 tonnes a person#25 of 53 in Africa
- Forest area#27 of 19261% forest#7 of 54 in Africa
- Renewable energy#10 of 19083.0% renewable#10 of 54 in Africa
- Access to electricity#174 of 19253.6% with electricity#37 of 54 in Africa
- Air pollution (PM2.5)#80 of 19120.2 µg/m³#34 of 54 in Africa
- Protected land#7 of 19141.3% of the land protected#3 of 54 in Africa
- Arable land#130 of 1905.1% of the land arable#37 of 54 in Africa
- Water stress#140 of 1762.8% of its available fresh water#34 of 53 in Africa
- Precipitation#94 of 1801,020 mm a year#26 of 54 in Africa
Governance & safety
Countries of a similar size
Every country within 25% of Zambia’s area, lit up on the map →
- Chile1.0×Zambia and Chile are almost exactly the same size.
- Turkey0.96×Zambia is 4% smaller than Turkey.
- Mozambique0.94×Zambia is 6% smaller than Mozambique.
- Namibia0.91×Zambia is 9% smaller than Namibia.
- Myanmar1.11×Zambia is 11% larger than Myanmar.
- Afghanistan1.15×Zambia is 15% larger than Afghanistan.
How many times does Zambia fit into…
- Russia: about 23 times
- Canada: about 13 times
- United States: about 13 times
The land itself
Rivers, summits and lakes Zambia shares with the rest of the world. Turn on “Rivers & lakes” and “Physical names” in the atlas to see them on the map.
Rivers
- Congo4,700 km
- Zambezi2,574 km
- Kafue1,577 km
Lakes
- Lake Tanganyika32,900 km²
- Lake Bangweulu9,840 km²
- Lake Kariba5,400 km²
- Lac Moeru4,650 km²
Rivers are listed by the published length of their whole course, not the part inside Zambia. Figures from Wikidata, features from Natural Earth.
Neighbours
Questions about Zambia
- How big is Zambia?
- Zambia covers 752,618 km², which makes it number 38 of 194 countries by area. About 21,913,874 people live there (2025), 29 per km².
- Is Zambia bigger than Chile?
- Zambia and Chile are almost exactly the same size. Zambia: 752,618 km²; Chile: 756,102 km².
- How much does the Mercator map distort Zambia?
- Zambia lies close to the equator, so Mercator draws it at nearly its true size. It is the countries far from the equator that Mercator inflates.
- Which countries border Zambia?
- Zambia shares a land border with DR Congo, Angola, Tanzania, Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi.