Western Province: population, jobs, income, poverty, health, education, water and power

Western Province is a province of Zambia, number 8 of 10 by population. The Zambia Statistics Agency projects the population of Western Province at 1,576,616 for mid-2026, 6.9% of Zambia's 23.00 million; 3rd smallest of the 10 provinces. The projection starts from the 2022 census and adds 45,733 people (2.99%) between mid-2025 and mid-2026 (Zambia: 3.09%).

In depth

• Economy, jobs and prices in Western Province: 24.5% of Western Province's labour force was unemployed in the 2024 Labour Force Survey, about 80,500 people out of 328,700 working or looking for work; the highest of the 10 provinces (Zambia: 12.9%).
• Health in Western Province: A baby born in Western Province in 2026 is projected to live 65.1 years on average, 2nd shortest of the 10 provinces (Zambia: 67.5), according to ZamStats projections from the 2022 census.
• Education in Western Province: 71.6% of women and 82.0% of men aged 15 to 49 in Western Province could read in 2024; the women's rate is 4th highest of the 10 provinces (Zambia: 69.7% and 80.6%).
• Poverty and living standards in Western Province: 78.6% of people in Western Province lived below the national poverty line in 2022, down from 82.2% in 2015; 2nd highest of the 10 provinces (Zambia: 60.0%, up from 54.4%).

More figures

• In 2022 Western Province had 94.5 children and older people for every 100 people of working age (age dependency ratio), down from 102.0 in 2010; the highest 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
• Copperbelt Province 3,257,050
• 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
• North-Western Province 1,516,038
• Muchinga Province 1,032,287

Up a level: Zambia · government and power in Zambia · cities

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…)

Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.