Copperbelt Province: population, jobs, income, poverty, health, education, water and power
Copperbelt Province is a province of Zambia, number 2 of 10 by population. The Zambia Statistics Agency projects the population of Copperbelt Province at 3,257,050 for mid-2026, 14.2% of Zambia's 23.00 million; 2nd largest of the 10 provinces. The projection starts from the 2022 census and adds 93,312 people (2.95%) between mid-2025 and mid-2026 (Zambia: 3.09%).
In depth
- Economy, jobs and prices in Copperbelt Province: 21.5% of Copperbelt Province's labour force was unemployed in the 2024 Labour Force Survey, about 182,100 people out of 847,600 working or looking for work; 2nd highest of the 10 provinces (Zambia: 12.9%).
- Health in Copperbelt Province: A baby born in Copperbelt Province in 2026 is projected to live 67.3 years on average, joint 3rd shortest of the 10 provinces (Zambia: 67.5), according to ZamStats projections from the 2022 census.
- Education in Copperbelt Province: 82.7% of women and 91.8% of men aged 15 to 49 in Copperbelt Province could read in 2024; the women's rate is 2nd highest of the 10 provinces (Zambia: 69.7% and 80.6%).
- Poverty and living standards in Copperbelt Province: 35.9% of people in Copperbelt Province lived below the national poverty line in 2022, up from 30.8% in 2015; 2nd lowest of the 10 provinces (Zambia: 60.0%, up from 54.4%).
How many people were counted in Copperbelt in the 2022 census?
The 2022 Census of Population and Housing counted 2,768,192 people in Copperbelt Province (1,361,013 male, 1,407,179 female). Its population grew by an average of 2.9% a year between the 2010 and 2022 censuses, the joint slowest of the 10 provinces.
Source: Zambia Statistics Agency · saved copyHow many people in Copperbelt live in towns?
83.2% of Copperbelt Province's people lived in urban areas at the 2022 census (2,303,964 urban, 464,228 rural), 2nd most urban of the 10 provinces (Zambia: 44.7%).
Source: Zambia Statistics Agency · saved copyHow densely populated is Copperbelt?
Copperbelt Province had 88.4 people per square kilometre in 2022 (area 31,328 km²), 2nd most densely populated of the 10 provinces (Zambia: 26.2).
Source: Zambia Statistics Agency · saved copyHow many children do women in Copperbelt have?
Women in Copperbelt Province have 3.2 children each on average at current rates, according to the 2024 Zambia Demographic and Health Survey, the joint lowest of the 10 provinces (Zambia: 4.0).
Source: Zambia Statistics Agency and Ministry of Health (with ICF, The DHS Program) · saved copyMore figures
- In 2022 Copperbelt Province had 68.5 children and older people for every 100 people of working age (age dependency ratio), down from 76.1 in 2010; 2nd lowest of the 10 provinces (Zambia: 81.2). Source: Zambia Statistics Agency · saved copy
How provinces are governed in Zambia
Provinces (10). Provincial minister appointed by the President. Ensures national policy is carried out in districts; no elected provincial council.
Every tier of government in Zambia
Other provinces of Zambia
- Lusaka Province 3,634,654
- Eastern Province 2,810,701
- Southern Province 2,804,849
- Central Province 2,735,746
- Northern Province 1,859,882
- Luapula Province 1,775,390
- Western Province 1,576,616
- North-Western Province 1,516,038
- Muchinga Province 1,032,287
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Sources
- Zambia Statistics Agency: 2022 Census of Population and Housing: Summary Report (Tables 2.3, 2.4, 5.1; Figure 2.18), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 cc53279c7344…)
- Zambia Statistics Agency and Ministry of Health (with ICF, The DHS Program): Zambia Demographic and Health Survey 2024, Final Report (province rows of Tables 2.6, 2.12, 3.3, 3.9.1, 5.2, 8.1, 8.3, 9.8, 10.4, 11.1, 14.4.1, 16.11, 17.2, 17.7), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 12e99ddc4a98…)
- Zambia Statistics Agency: 2022 Living Conditions Monitoring Survey Report (Tables 6.2, 10.2, 14.8; Figures 12.3, 12.6, 12.27), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 e5a8bbf667e0…)
- Zambia Statistics Agency and Ministry of Labour and Social Security: 2024 Labour Force Survey Report (Tables 4.2, 4.3, 10.2; Figures 5.6, 7.2, 10.10, 10.18), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 9dac93f5249a…)
- Zambia Statistics Agency: 2022 Census of Population and Housing: National, Provincial and District Population Projections 2023-2047 (Tables A4, A5, A6; medium variant), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 76c7c9904915…)
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