Zambia's cities at a glance
Dots sized by population · Lusaka in orange
Zambia has 1 city with more than a million inhabitants and 16 with more than 100,000 (city-proper figures). The largest is Lusaka with 2,212,301 people, followed by Kitwe (665,961) and Ndola (627,503). The three largest cities together hold about 15.4% of the country's 22.7 million people.
The capital, Lusaka, is also the largest city.
By region, the most large cities are in Copperbelt (7), Eastern Province (4), Central Province (4).
Country-level figures — live population, births and deaths, growth, density and history — are on the Zambia population page; provinces, terrain, rivers and society maps are in the Zambia atlas.
Zambia cities by population
| # | City | Region | Population | Share of Zambia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LusakaCapital | Lusaka Province | 2,212,301 | 9.7% |
| 2 | Kitwe | Copperbelt | 665,961 | 2.9% |
| 3 | Ndola | Copperbelt | 627,503 | 2.8% |
| 4 | Chipata | Eastern Province | 327,059 | 1.4% |
| 5 | Solwezi | North-Western | 301,370 | 1.3% |
| 6 | Kabwe | Central Province | 288,598 | 1.3% |
| 7 | Chingola | Copperbelt | 256,560 | 1.1% |
| 8 | Luanshya | Copperbelt | 193,293 | 0.9% |
| 9 | Kasama | Northern Province | 179,636 | 0.8% |
| 10 | Livingstone | Southern Province | 178,361 | 0.8% |
| 11 | Mansa | Luapula Province | 170,965 | 0.8% |
| 12 | Mufulira | Copperbelt | 169,136 | 0.7% |
| 13 | Chililabombwe | Copperbelt | 113,876 | 0.5% |
| 14 | Mongu | Western Province | 111,450 | 0.5% |
| 15 | Mazabuka | Southern Province | 104,412 | 0.5% |
| 16 | Kalulushi | Copperbelt | 104,046 | 0.5% |
| 17 | Choma | Southern Province | 98,974 | 0.4% |
| 18 | Nakonde | Muchinga | 91,107 | 0.4% |
| 19 | Kapiri Mposhi | Central Province | 83,211 | 0.4% |
| 20 | Nchelenge | Luapula Province | 77,746 | 0.3% |
| 21 | Mpika | Muchinga | 63,740 | 0.3% |
| 22 | Monze | Southern Province | 60,281 | 0.3% |
| 23 | Petauke | Eastern Province | 58,156 | 0.3% |
| 24 | Mpulungu | Northern Province | 55,405 | 0.2% |
| 25 | Samfya | Luapula Province | 51,309 | 0.2% |
| 26 | Mumbwa | Central Province | 49,461 | 0.2% |
| 27 | Mkushi | Central Province | 45,927 | 0.2% |
| 28 | Katete | Eastern Province | 45,402 | 0.2% |
| 29 | Lundazi | Eastern Province | 45,149 | 0.2% |
| 30 | Mbala | Northern Province | 42,424 | 0.2% |
Cities with 300,000 or more people link to their own page. The list keeps every city of 100,000+ and at least the 30 largest places of the country.
Frequently asked questions
What is the largest city in Zambia?
Lusaka, with about 2,212,301 inhabitants (city proper).
What is the capital of Zambia?
Lusaka — population 2,212,301, the largest city in the country.
How many cities in Zambia have over one million people?
1: Lusaka.
Are these metropolitan-area populations?
No. They are city-proper figures (the administrative city) from GeoNames, based on the latest census or official estimate. Metropolitan areas, which include suburbs and satellite towns, are larger — often several times larger for the biggest cities.
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SudanCite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Largest Cities in Zambia 2026: Population Ranking. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/zambia/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/zambia/">Largest Cities in Zambia 2026: Population Ranking</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
City populations are GeoNames figures (CC BY 4.0): the latest official census or estimate for the city proper — the municipality, not the wider metropolitan area — so they can differ from "metro area" numbers you see elsewhere. Country populations are live Glostats estimates from the UN World Population Prospects. Page generated 2026-10-20. More about our data.