Number of children under 5 in Zambia
Zambia: Number of children under 5 was 3.15 million people in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Number of children under 5 in Zambia, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2023, number of children under 5 in Zambia stood at 3.15 million people. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.
The figure is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 15.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of children under 5 in Zambia peaked at 3.15 million people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 427,153 people, in 1950.
Zambia ranks 46th of 236 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 505,730 people | 427,153 people | 583,942 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 704,138 people | 603,195 people | 814,619 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 986,791 people | 843,129 people | 1.13 million people | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.29 million people | 1.16 million people | 1.45 million people | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.66 million people | 1.49 million people | 1.85 million people | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.16 million people | 1.90 million people | 2.48 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.78 million people | 2.55 million people | 2.96 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.08 million people | 3.01 million people | 3.15 million people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More reference data data for Zambia
- Spring temperature anomalies -0.0386 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies -0.018 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.3261 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.5273 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies -0.2981 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 483.32 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of children under 5 in Zambia?
- Number of children under 5 in Zambia was 3.15 million people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of children under 5 recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 3.15 million people in 2023.
- What is the lowest number of children under 5 recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 427,153 people in 1950.
- How does Zambia rank for number of children under 5?
- Zambia ranks 46th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of children under 5 rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of children under 5. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The total population, measured on 1 July of the year shown. This only includes people aged 0-4.