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Finance and National Planning Minister, Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane, has hailed the newly launched 2022 Census National Analytical Report as the most technologically advanced census Zambia has ever conducted.
In a speech read on his behalf by Acting Permanent Secretary for Planning and Administration, Pamela Kauseni, Musokotwane said the census was Zambia’s first to be conducted fully digitally.
“Enumerators used tablets, satellite-based mapping, and GPS tracking to ensure accuracy, efficiency, and full national coverage. A real-time monitoring dashboard enabled the Zambia Statistics Agency (ZamStats) to check data quality and coverage daily — a leap forward in statistical innovation,” he said.
Musokotwane noted that the comprehensive data generated would enable government to make smarter, fairer, and more targeted decisions for national development.
Presenting highlights from the report, Kauseni revealed a significant rise in urban population densities, now at 141.3 persons per square kilometre in Lusaka and 103.4 in the Copperbelt, increasing pressure on infrastructure, housing, and essential services.
She also pointed out that youth unemployment stood at 14.5 percent, posing a major challenge to Zambia’s development agenda. In the digital space, despite 41 percent of Zambians owning ICT devices, only 15 percent had accessed the internet in the past three months, revealing a stark digital divide, especially in rural areas.
“Health indicators remain a concern, with teenage pregnancies at 16.3 percent among girls aged 15–19. Although maternal mortality has declined to 184 deaths per 100,000 live births, it remains unacceptably high,” she said, in remarks delivered by Ministry Director of Public Investment Planning, Victor Kachabe.
Meanwhile, ZamStats Board Chairperson, Oliver Chinganya, described the report as a historic milestone in Zambia’s transition toward modern, evidence-based governance.
“The 2022 Census is a landmark: Zambia’s first fully electronic Population and Housing Census. By leveraging digital tools, we gathered high-quality data on nearly 20 million people,” Chinganya said.
ZamStats Acting Statistician General, Sheila Mudenda, noted that the report offered the most comprehensive analysis to date of Zambia’s demographic, economic, and social landscape.
“It goes beyond headline statistics to provide an in-depth examination of our growth, living conditions, and emerging opportunities and challenges. The report covers over 15 thematic areas, with data disaggregated at provincial level,” she said.
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