People displaced internally by natural disasters in Zambia

Zambia: People displaced internally by natural disasters was 9,300 number of cases in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
9,300 number of cases
Change on year
up 158.3%
World rank
71st
of 146 countries
All-time high
54,000 number of cases
in 2009
All-time low
21 number of cases
in 2018
Years of data
13
2008–2023

People displaced internally by natural disasters in Zambia, 2008–2023

020.0k40.0k60.0k2008201520232008: 5.8k number of cases2009: 54.0k number of cases2010: 150 number of cases2013: 5.5k number of cases2014: 26.0k number of cases2015: 25 number of cases2017: 2.8k number of cases2018: 21 number of cases2019: 1.3k number of cases2020: 7.2k number of cases2021: 1.3k number of cases2022: 3.6k number of cases2023: 9.3k number of cases

Source: Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in number of cases.

Analysis

In 2023, people displaced internally by natural disasters in Zambia stood at 9,300 number of cases.

The figure is up 158.3% on the previous year and up 69.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, people displaced internally by natural disasters in Zambia peaked at 54,000 number of cases in 2009 and was at its lowest, 21 number of cases, in 2018.

That places Zambia 71st out of 146 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 29,900 number of cases 5,800 number of cases 54,000 number of cases 2
2010s 5,114 number of cases 21 number of cases 26,000 number of cases 7
2020s 5,350 number of cases 1,300 number of cases 9,300 number of cases 4

Countries ranked near Zambia

  1. 68 Senegal 12,000 number of cases compare
  2. 69 Argentina 9,800 number of cases compare
  3. 69 Haiti 9,800 number of cases compare
  4. 72 Japan 8,600 number of cases compare
  5. 73 France 7,900 number of cases compare
  6. 74 Benin 6,900 number of cases compare

See the full ranking of 146 places →

More reference data data for Zambia

All data for Zambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is people displaced internally by natural disasters in Zambia?
People displaced internally by natural disasters in Zambia was 9,300 number of cases in 2023, according to Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest people displaced internally by natural disasters recorded in Zambia?
The highest recorded value was 54,000 number of cases in 2009.
What is the lowest people displaced internally by natural disasters recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was 21 number of cases in 2018.
How does Zambia rank for people displaced internally by natural disasters?
Zambia ranks 71st out of 146 countries with data for 2023.
Is people displaced internally by natural disasters rising or falling in Zambia?
Over the last ten years it is up 69.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Zambia data come from?
The figures come from Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of People displaced internally by natural disasters. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
People displaced internally by natural disasters
Unit
number of cases
Source
Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
146 places, 1,631 data points, 2008–2023
Last refreshed

Internally-displaced persons are defined as people or groups of people who have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, as a result of natural or human-made disasters and who have not crossed an international border.