2018 Edition

Background

The territory of Northern Rhodesia was administered by the former British South Africa Company from 1891 until it was taken over by the UK in 1923. During the 1920s and 1930s, advances in mining spurred development and immigration. The name was changed to Zambia upon independence in 1964. In the 1980s and 1990s, declining copper prices, economic mismanagement, and a prolonged drought hurt the economy. Elections in 1991 brought an end to one-party rule and propelled the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) to government. The subsequent vote in 1996, however, saw increasing harassment of opposition parties and abuse of state media and other resources. The election in 2001 was marked by administrative problems, with three parties filing a legal petition challenging the election of ruling party candidate Levy MWANAWASA. MWANAWASA was reelected in 2006 in an election that was deemed free and fair. Upon his death in August 2008, he was succeeded by his vice president, Rupiah BANDA, who won a special presidential byelection later that year. The MMD and BANDA lost to the Patriotic Front (PF) and Michael SATA in the 2011 general elections. SATA, however, presided over a period of haphazard economic management and attempted to silence opposition to PF policies. SATA died in October 2014 and was succeeded by his vice president, Guy SCOTT, who served as interim president until January 2015, when Edgar LUNGU won the presidential byelection and completed SATA's term. LUNGU then won a full term in August 2016 presidential elections.

Area

land

743,398 sq km

total

752,618 sq km

water

9,220 sq km

Area Comparative

almost five times the size of Georgia; slightly larger than Texas

Climate

tropical; modified by altitude; rainy season (October to April)

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation

elevation extremes

329 m lowest point: Zambezi river

mean elevation

1,138 m

note

2301 highest point: unnamed elevation in Mafinga Hills

Environment Current Issues

air pollution and resulting acid rain in the mineral extraction and refining region; chemical runoff into watersheds; loss of biodiversity; poaching seriously threatens rhinoceros, elephant, antelope, and large cat populations; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; lack of adequate water treatment presents human health risks

Environment International Agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Geographic Coordinates

15 00 S, 30 00 E

Geography Note

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)

Irrigated Land

1,560 sq km (2012)

Land Boundaries

border countries (8)

Angola 1065 km, Botswana 0.15 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 2332 km, Malawi 847 km, Mozambique 439 km, Namibia 244 km, Tanzania 353 km, Zimbabwe 763 km

total

6,043.15 km

Land Use

arable land: 4.8% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 0% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 26.9% (2011 est.)

agricultural land

31.7% (2011 est.)

forest

66.3% (2011 est.)

other

2% (2011 est.)

Location

Southern Africa, east of Angola, south of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Map References

Africa

Maritime Claims

note

none (landlocked)

Natural Hazards

periodic drought; tropical storms (November to April)

Natural Resources

copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium, hydropower

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

Terrain

mostly high plateau with some hills and mountains

Age Structure

0-14 years

45.95% (male 3,796,548 /female 3,759,624)

15-24 years

20% (male 1,643,364 /female 1,645,713)

25-54 years

28.79% (male 2,384,765 /female 2,349,877)

55-64 years

2.95% (male 225,586 /female 260,252)

65 years and over

2.31% (male 166,224 /female 213,126) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

41.1 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Children Under The Age Of 5 Years Underweight

14.8% (2013)

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate

49% (2013/14)

Death Rate

12 deaths/1,000 population (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 percent annually between 2000 and 2010. 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.

Dependency Ratios

elderly dependency ratio

4.8 (2015 est.)

potential support ratio

20.8 (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

91.9 (2015 est.)

youth dependency ratio

87.1 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

improved: urban: 85.6% of population

rural: 51.3% of population

total: 65.4% of population

unimproved: urban: 14.4% of population

rural: 48.7% of population

total: 34.6% of population (2015 est.)

Education Expenditures

1.1% of GDP (2008)

Ethnic Groups

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.)

Health Expenditures

5% of GDP (2014)

Hiv Aids Adult Prevalence Rate

11.5% (2017 est.)

Hiv Aids Deaths

16,000 (2017 est.)

Hiv Aids People Living With Hiv Aids

1.1 million (2017 est.)

Hospital Bed Density

2 beds/1,000 population (2010)

Infant Mortality Rate

female

53.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

male

64.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

total

59.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

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.)

note

Zambia is said to have over 70 languages, although many of these may be considered dialects; all of Zambia's major languages are members of the Bantu family

Life Expectancy At Birth

female

54.7 years (2018 est.)

male

51.4 years (2018 est.)

total population

53 years (2018 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write English (2015 est.)

female

56% (2015 est.)

male

70.9% (2015 est.)

total population

63.4% (2015 est.)

Major Infectious Diseases

animal contact diseases

rabies (2016)

degree of risk

very high (2016)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever (2016)

vectorborne diseases

malaria and dengue fever (2016)

water contact diseases

schistosomiasis (2016)

Major Urban Areas Population

2.524 million LUSAKA (capital) (2018)

Maternal Mortality Rate

224 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

Median Age

female

16.9 years (2018 est.)

male

16.7 years

total

16.8 years

Mother S Mean Age At First Birth

19.2 years (2013/14 est.)

note

median age at first birth among women 25-29

Nationality

adjective

Zambian

noun

Zambian(s)

Net Migration Rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

8.1% (2016)

Physicians Density

0.09 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

Population

16,445,079 (July 2018 est.)

note

estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected

Population Growth Rate

2.91% (2018 est.)

Religions

Protestant 75.3%, Roman Catholic 20.2%, other 2.7% (includes Muslim Buddhist, Hindu, and Baha'i), none 1.8% (2010 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

improved: urban: 55.6% of population (2015 est.)

rural: 35.7% of population (2015 est.)

total: 43.9% of population (2015 est.)

unimproved: urban: 44.4% of population (2015 est.)

rural: 64.3% of population (2015 est.)

total: 56.1% of population (2015 est.)

Sex Ratio

0-14 years

1.01 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

15-24 years

1 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

25-54 years

1.02 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

55-64 years

0.88 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

65 years and over

0.76 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

at birth

1.02 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

total population

1 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

5.58 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment Youth Ages 15 24

female

15.8% (2012 est.)

male

14.6% (2012 est.)

total

15.2% (2012 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

4.23% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

urban population

43.5% of total population (2018)

Administrative Divisions

10 provinces; Central, Copperbelt, Eastern, Luapula, Lusaka, Muchinga, Northern, North-Western, Southern, Western

Capital

geographic coordinates

15 25 S, 28 17 E

name

Lusaka; note - a proposal to build a new capital city in Ngabwe was announced in May 2017

time difference

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

only if at least one parent is a citizen of Zambia

citizenship by descent only

yes, if at least one parent was a citizen of Zambia

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

5 years for those with an ancestor who was a citizen of Zambia, otherwise 10 years residency is required

Constitution

amendments

proposed by the National Assembly; passage requires two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly in two separate readings at least 30 days apart; passage of amendments affecting fundamental rights and freedoms requires approval by at least one-half of votes cast in a referendum prior to consideration and voting by the Assembly; amended 1996, 2015, last in 2016 (2017)

history

several previous; latest adopted 24 August 1991, promulgated 30 August 1991 (2017)

Country Name

conventional long form

Republic of Zambia

conventional short form

Zambia

etymology

name derived from the Zambezi River, which flows through the western part of the country and forms its southern border with neighboring Zimbabwe

former

Northern Rhodesia

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

chief of mission

Ambassador Daniel L. FOOTE (since December 2017)

embassy

Eastern end of Kabulonga Road, Ibex Hill, Lusaka

FAX

[260]  211-357-224

mailing address

P. O. Box 320065, Lusaka

telephone

[260]  211-357-000

Diplomatic Representation In The Us

chancery

2200 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Ngosa SIMBYAKULA (since 29 November 2017)

FAX

[1] (202) 332-0826

telephone

[1] (202) 265-9717 through 9719

Executive Branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by president from among members of the National Assembly

chief of state

President Edgar LUNGU (since 25 January 2015); Vice President Inonge WINA (since 26 January 2015); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

election results

Edgar LUNGU reelected president in the first round; percent of vote - Edgar LUNGU (PF) 50.4%, Hakainde HICHILEMA (UPND) 47.6%, other 2.0%

elections/appointments

president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); last held on 11 August 2016 (next to be held in 2021)

head of government

President Edgar LUNGU (since 25 January 2015); Vice President Inonge WINA (since 26 January 2015)

Flag Description

green field with a panel of three vertical bands of red (hoist side), black, and orange below a soaring orange eagle, on the outer edge of the flag; green stands for the country's natural resources and vegetation, red symbolizes the struggle for freedom, black the people of Zambia, and orange the country's mineral wealth; the eagle represents the people's ability to rise above the nation's problems

Government Type

presidential republic

Independence

24 October 1964 (from the UK)

International Law Organization Participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International Organization Participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial Branch

highest courts

Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice, deputy chief justice, and at least 11 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of the court president, vice president, and 11 judges); note - the Constitutional Court began operation in June 2016

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court and Constitutional Court judges appointed by the president of the republic upon the advice of the 9-member Judicial Service Commission, which is headed by the chief justice, and ratified by the National Assembly; judges normally serve until age 65

subordinate courts

Court of Appeal; High Court; Industrial Relations Court; subordinate courts (3 levels, based on upper limit of money involved); Small Claims Court; local courts (2 grades, based on upper limit of money involved)

Legal System

mixed legal system of English common law and customary law

Legislative Branch

description

unicameral National Assembly (164 seats; 156 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote in 2 rounds if needed, and 8 appointed by the president; members serve 5-year terms); note - 6 additional electoral seats were added for the 11 August 2016 election, up from 150 electoral seats in the 2011 election

election results

percent of vote by party - PF 42%, UPND 41.7%, MMD 2.7%, FDD 2.2%, other 1.9%,independent 9.5%; seats by party - PF 80, UPND 58, MMD 3, FDD 1, independent 14

elections

last held on 11 August 2016 (next to be held in 2021)

National Anthem

lyrics/music

multiple/Enoch Mankayi SONTONGA

name

"Lumbanyeni Zambia" (Stand and Sing of Zambia, Proud and Free)

note

adopted 1964; the melody, from the popular song "God Bless Africa," is the same as that of Tanzania but with different lyrics; the melody is also incorporated into South Africa's anthem

National Holiday

Independence Day, 24 October (1964)

National Symbol S

African fish eagle; national colors: green, red, black, orange

Political Parties And Leaders

Alliance for Democracy and Development or ADD [Charles MILUPI]Forum for Democracy and Development or FDD [Edith NAWAKWI]Movement for Multiparty Democracy or MMD [Felix MUTATI]Patriotic Front or PF [Edgar LUNGU]United Party for National Development or UPND [Hakainde HICHILEMA]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture Products

corn, sorghum, rice, peanuts, sunflower seeds, vegetables, flowers, tobacco, cotton, sugarcane, cassava (manioc, tapioca), coffee; cattle, goats, pigs, poultry, milk, eggs, hides

Budget

expenditures

6.357 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

4.473 billion (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

-7.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central Bank Discount Rate

9.1% (31 December 2012)

19% (31 December 2011)

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

12.5% (31 December 2017 est.)

15.5% (31 December 2016 est.)

Current Account Balance

-$1.006 billion (2017 est.)

-$934 million (2016 est.)

Debt External

$11.66 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$9.562 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Distribution Of Family Income Gini Index

57.5 (2013)

50.8 (2004)

Economy Overview

Zambia had one of the world’s fastest growing economies for the ten years up to 2014, with real GDP growth averaging roughly 6.7% per annum, though growth slowed during the period 2015 to 2017, due to falling copper prices, reduced power generation, and depreciation of the kwacha. Zambia’s lack of economic diversification and dependency on copper as its sole major export makes it vulnerable to fluctuations in the world commodities market and prices turned downward in 2015 due to declining demand from China; Zambia was overtaken by the Democratic Republic of Congo as Africa’s largest copper producer. GDP growth picked up in 2017 as mineral prices rose.Despite recent strong economic growth and its status as a lower middle-income country, widespread and extreme rural poverty and high unemployment levels remain significant problems, made worse by a high birth rate, a relatively high HIV/AIDS burden, by market-distorting agricultural and energy policies, and growing government debt. Zambia raised $7 billion from international investors by issuing separate sovereign bonds in 2012, 2014, and 2015. Concurrently, it issued over $4 billion in domestic debt and agreed to Chinese-financed infrastructure projects, significantly increasing the country’s public debt burden to more than 60% of GDP. The government has considered refinancing $3 billion worth of Eurobonds and significant Chinese loans to cut debt servicing costs.

Exchange Rates

Zambian kwacha (ZMK) per US dollar -

9.2 (2017 est.)

10.3 (2016 est.)

10.3 (2015 est.)

8.6 (2014 est.)

6.2 (2013 est.)

Exports

$8.216 billion (2017 est.)

$6.514 billion (2016 est.)

Exports Commodities

copper/cobalt, cobalt, electricity; tobacco, flowers, cotton

Exports Partners

Switzerland 44.8%, China 16.1%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 6.2%, Singapore 6%, South Africa 5.9% (2017)

Fiscal Year

calendar year

Gdp Composition By End Use

exports of goods and services

43% (2017 est.)

government consumption

21% (2017 est.)

household consumption

52.6% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-44.9% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

27.1% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

1.2% (2017 est.)

Gdp Composition By Sector Of Origin

agriculture

7.5% (2017 est.)

industry

35.3% (2017 est.)

services

57% (2017 est.)

Gdp Official Exchange Rate

$25.71 billion (2017 est.) (2017 est.)

Gdp Per Capita Ppp

$4,000 (2017 est.)

$4,000 (2016 est.)

$4,000 (2015 est.)

note

data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp Purchasing Power Parity

$68.93 billion (2017 est.)

$66.66 billion (2016 est.)

$64.25 billion (2015 est.)

note

data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp Real Growth Rate

3.4% (2017 est.)

3.8% (2016 est.)

2.9% (2015 est.)

Gross National Saving

38.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

37.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

38.9% of GDP (2015 est.)

Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share

highest 10%

47.4% (2010)

lowest 10%

47.4% (2010)

Imports

$7.852 billion (2017 est.)

$6.539 billion (2016 est.)

Imports Commodities

machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, electricity, fertilizer, foodstuffs, clothing

Imports Partners

South Africa 28.2%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 20.8%, China 12.9%, Kuwait 5.4%, UAE 4.6% (2017)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

4.7% (2017 est.)

Industries

copper mining and processing, emerald mining, construction, foodstuffs, beverages, chemicals, textiles, fertilizer, horticulture

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

6.6% (2017 est.)

17.9% (2016 est.)

Labor Force

6.898 million (2017 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

agriculture

54.8%

industry

9.9%

services

35.3% (2017 est.)

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

$3.004 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$4.009 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$2.817 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

Population Below Poverty Line

54.4% (2015 est.)

Public Debt

63.1% of GDP (2017 est.)

60.7% of GDP (2016 est.)

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

$2.082 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$2.353 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Broad Money

$1.764 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.582 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment Abroad

note

NA

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment At Home

note

NA

Stock Of Domestic Credit

$5.401 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$4.167 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Narrow Money

$1.764 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.582 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Taxes And Other Revenues

17.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

15% (2008 est.)

50% (2000 est.)

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

3.777 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

12,860 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Production

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

electrification - rural areas

14% (2013)

electrification - total population

26% (2013)

electrification - urban areas

45% (2013)

population without electricity

10.7 million (2013)

Electricity Consumption

11.04 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

1.176 billion kWh (2015 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

5% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

93% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

2% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

2.185 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

2.573 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

11.55 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Consumption

23,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

371 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Imports

10,150 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

13,120 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

less than 1 (2017 est.)

total

35,912 (2017 est.)

Broadcast Media

state-owned Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) operates 3 TV stations, is the principal local-content provider, and owns about 45% of multi-channel Zambia shares; several private TV stations and multi-channel subscription TV services are available; ZNBC operates 4 radio networks; 64 private radio stations are available (most regionally) and relays of at least 2 international broadcasters — including BBC and Radio France International – are accessible in Lusaka and Kitwe (2015)

Internet Country Code

.zm

Internet Users

percent of population

25.5% (July 2016 est.)

total

3,956,252 (July 2016 est.)

Telephone System

domestic

high-capacity microwave radio relay connects most larger towns and cities; several cellular telephone services in operation and network coverage is improving; domestic satellite system being installed to improve telephone service in rural areas; Internet service is widely available; very small aperture terminal (VSAT) networks are operated by private firms (2015)

general assessment

among the best in sub-Saharan Africa (2015)

international

country code - 260; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean), 3 owned by Zamtel (2015)

Telephones Fixed Lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

1 (2017 est.)

total subscriptions

101,444 (2017 est.)

Telephones Mobile Cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

84 (2017 est.)

total subscriptions

13,438,539 (2017 est.)

Airports

88 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

3 (2013)

2,438 to 3,047 m

3 (2013)

914 to 1,523 m

1 (2013)

over 3,047 m

1 (2013)

total

8 (2013)

Airports With Unpaved Runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

5 (2013)

2,438 to 3,047 m

1 (2013)

914 to 1,523 m

53 (2013)

total

80 (2013)

under 914 m

21 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

9J (2016)

Merchant Marine

by type

other 1 (2017)

total

1 (2017)

National Air Transport System

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

79,092,826 mt-km (2015)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

11,796 (2015)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

1 (2015)

number of registered air carriers

1 (2015)

Pipelines

771 km oil (2013)

Ports And Terminals

river port(s)

Mpulungu (Zambezi)

Railways

narrow gauge

3,126 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)

note

includes 1,860 km of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA)

total

3,126 km (2014)

Roadways

paved

9,403 km (2005)

total

40,454 km (2005)

unpaved

31,051 km (2005)

Waterways

2,250 km (includes Lake Tanganyika and the Zambezi and Luapula Rivers) (2010)

Military Branches

Zambian Defense Force (ZDF): Zambia Army, Zambia Air Force, Zambia National Service (support organization) (2015)

Military Expenditures

1.53% of GDP (2016)

1.75% of GDP (2015)

1.63% of GDP (2014)

1.36% of GDP (2013)

1.36% of GDP (2012)

Military Service Age And Obligation

national registration required at age 16; 18-25 years of age for male and female voluntary military service (16 years of age with parental consent); no conscription; Zambian citizenship required; grade 12 certification required; mandatory HIV testing on enlistment; mandatory retirement for officers at age 65 (Army, Air Force) (2012)

Disputes International

in 2004, Zimbabwe dropped objections to plans between Botswana and Zambia to build a bridge over the Zambezi River, thereby de facto recognizing a short, but not clearly delimited, Botswana-Zambia boundary in the river

Illicit Drugs

transshipment point for moderate amounts of methaqualone, small amounts of heroin, and cocaine bound for southern Africa and possibly Europe; a poorly developed financial infrastructure coupled with a government commitment to combating money laundering make it an unattractive venue for money launderers; major consumer of cannabis

Refugees And Internally Displaced Persons

refugees (country of origin)

42,308 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers), 5,000 (Burundi) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2018)