World vs Zambia: Urban population growth
Urban population growth over time
- World
- Zambia
How they compare
Zambia currently reports 3.7% against 1.4% in World, a difference of 2.3%.
That makes Zambia's figure about 2.8 times World's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 65 shared years of data; in 1961 it was Zambia ahead.
World ranks 25th and Zambia ranks 26th of 47 groups.
Across the 7 decades both report, World averaged higher in 1 and Zambia in 6.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | World | Zambia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.6% | 9.1% | 6.5% | Zambia |
| 1970s | 2.7% | 5.9% | 3.3% | Zambia |
| 1980s | 2.6% | 2.9% | 0.3% | Zambia |
| 1990s | 2.4% | 1.6% | 0.7% | World |
| 2000s | 2.3% | 4.1% | 1.8% | Zambia |
| 2010s | 2.1% | 4.1% | 2.1% | Zambia |
| 2020s | 1.4% | 3.7% | 2.3% | Zambia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher urban population growth, World or Zambia?
- Zambia, at 3.7% against 1.4% in World as of 2025.
- What is the difference in urban population growth between World and Zambia?
- 2.3%, with Zambia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for World and Zambia?
- 65 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2025.
- How do World and Zambia rank globally for urban population growth?
- World ranks 25th and Zambia ranks 26th of 47 groups.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as Urban population growth (annual %). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Annual urban population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear urban population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank total population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects.