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Zambia recorded 10,881 Gender-Based Violence cases countrywide during the Second Quarter of 2026, marking a 7 percent increase compared to the same period last year, the Zambia Police Service announced on Friday.
Lusaka Province recorded the highest number of criminal GBV cases at 1,696, accounting for 23.4 percent of the national total.
The figures, covering April 1 to June 30, 2026, were released in a press statement issued in Lusaka on Friday by Police Spokesperson Godfrey Chilabi and of the total cases, 7,261 were criminal cases while 3,620 were non-criminal.
Chilabi said the number represents an increase of 711 cases from the 10,170 GBV cases recorded during the Second Quarter of 2025.
“Lusaka Province recorded the highest number of criminal Gender-Based Violence cases, with 1,696 cases, representing 23.4 percent of the national total,” he said.
Other provinces with high numbers included Luapula with 950 cases, Western with 818 cases, and Copperbelt with 763 cases and TAZARA Division recorded the lowest with 30 cases.
Women and girls remained the most affected group with a total of 8,035 female victims recorded, representing 73.8 percent of all victims.
“Women and girls remained disproportionately affected by Gender-Based Violence during the period under review. A total of 8,035 female victims, comprising women and girls, were recorded, representing 73.8 percent of all victims,” Chilabi said.
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Children also accounted for a significant share of victims with police recording 2,678 child victims, representing 24.6 percent of all reported GBV cases, an increase of 5.2 percent from 2025.
“A total of 2,678 children were recorded as victims of GBV, accounting for 24.6 percent of all reported GBV cases. This represents an increase of 132 victims, or 5.2 percent, compared with the 2,546 child victims recorded during the same period in 2025,” he said.
Physical abuse was the most common form of GBV, with 3,967 cases representing 36.4 percent of all reported cases and this was followed by economic abuse with 2,082 cases and sexual abuse with 931 cases.
In sexual abuse cases, girls were the most affected with 701 cases and child defilement remained the most prevalent sexual offence, accounting for 647 cases or 69.5 percent of all sexual abuse cases.
Police also recorded 39 murder cases during the quarter, up from 29 in 2025, and 15 cases of Grievous Bodily Harm and the Victim Support Unit provided counselling to 7,187 victims and other parties.
Chilabi expressed concern over the continued high numbers of physical violence, economic abuse and child defilement, and called on communities, traditional leaders, parents, faith-based and civil society organisations to strengthen prevention efforts.
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