Zambia's population comprises more than 70 Bantu-speaking ethnic groups. Some ethnic groups are small, and only two have enough people to constitute at least 10% of the population. Most Zambians are subsistence farmers, but the country is quite highly urbanised, with 42% of the population being city residents. The predominant religion is a blend of traditional beliefs and Christianity.

Expatriates, mostly British (about 15,000) or South African, live mainly in Lusaka and in the Copperbelt in northern Zambia, where they are employed in mines and related activities. Zambia also has a small but economically important Asian population, most of whom are Indians.

Population: 10,307,333 (July 2003 est.), 9,582,418 (July 2000 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 and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected.

Age structure:
0-14 years: 46.3% (male 2,396,313; female 2,378,567)
15-64 years: 50.9% (male 2,626,961; female 2,621,818)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 131,196; female 152,478) (2003 est.)

0-14 years:48% (male 2,290,559; female 2,270,945)
15-64 years:50% (male 2,369,317; female 2,413,070)
65 years and over:2% (male 105,443; female 133,084) (2000 est.)

Median age:
total: 16.5 years
male: 16.4 years
female: 16.6 years (2002)

Population growth rate: 1.52% (2003 est.), 1.95% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 39.53 births/1,000 population (2003 est.), 41.9 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 24.3 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.), 22.08 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.), -0.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

at birth:1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years:0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over:0.79 male(s)/female
total population:0.99 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 99.29 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 91.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 106.58 deaths/1,000 live births

total 92.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 35.25 years
male: 35.25 years
female: 35.25 years (2003 est.)

total population:37.24 years
male:37.08 years
female:37.41 years (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.25 children born/woman (2003 est.), 5.62 children born/woman (2000 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 21.5% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 1.2 million (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 120,000 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun:Zambian(s)
adjective:Zambian

Ethnic groups: African 98.7%, European 1.1%, other 0.2%

Religions: Christian 50%-75%, Muslim and Hindu 24%-49%, indigenous beliefs 1%

Languages: English (official), major vernaculars - Bemba, Kaonde, Lozi, Lunda, Luvale, Nyanja, Tonga, and about 70 other indigenous languages

'Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write English
total population: 80.6%
male: 86.8%
female: 74.8% (2003 est.)

total population: 78.2%
male: 85.6%
female: 71.3% (1995 est.)

See also : Zambia