Safest cities in Zambia
18 cities with 100k+ population · data updated 2026-09-04
What official travel advice warns about
Terrorism
- Terrorism in ZambiaTerrorist attacks in Zambia cannot be ruled out.
Political situation
- There are occasionally demonstrations and protests in Lusaka and other urban areas. They can disrupt local transport and become violent. Avoid them and leave the scene as soon as possible if a crowd develops. Do not cross protester roadblocks as this is likely to provoke a violent reaction from demonstrators.
Crime
- Travel in larger cities and the major game parks is generally safe during daylight hours. However, serious crimes can happen. Pre-arrange transport to avoid walking at night and stay aware of your surroundings, especially after dark. Stay alert and take precautions against vehicle crime by:
Laws and cultural differences
- Pornography lawsIt is illegal to possess pornographic material in Zambia, and offenders may be jailed or deported.
- Illegal drugsIt is illegal to possess or use drugs, including marijuana. Drug use and smuggling are serious offences.
- Using cameras in secure areasIt’s illegal to take pictures of sensitive sites such as army barracks or government buildings, and you could be arrested. If in doubt, do not take pictures.
- LGBT+ travellersSame-sex sexual activity is illegal in Zambia, and anyone convicted can get a long prison sentence.
- Wildlife, animal products and souvenirsIt is illegal to buy, sell, kill or capture any protected wild animal or trade its parts without a licence. Anyone caught purchasing or trafficking such goods will be prosecuted and get a fine or a prison sentence.
Outdoor activities and adventure tourism
- Wild animals in the bush, including venomous snakes, are unpredictable and do kill. Whether you are travelling on land or water, you are at risk of potentially fatal animal attacks.
Transport risks
- Road travelIf you are planning to drive in Zambia, see information on driving abroad.
- Road conditions and driving standardsMany roads are severely potholed. During the rainy season from November to April, sudden floods can wash away bridges and roads.
- Buses and minibusesTravel by long-distance public transport can be dangerous due to poor standards of driving, lack of rest periods for drivers, the poor quality of vehicles and poor road conditions. Minibuses in urban areas are usually severely overcrowded, poorly maintained and badly driven.
Headings and opening lines from the UK FCDO “Safety and security” travel advice for Zambia, updated 2026-06-01 (Open Government Licence v3.0). Read the full advice on gov.uk →
Country figures
- Homicide rate
- 5.2 /100k2015
- Income inequality
- Gini 51.52022
- Human development
- HDI 0.5952023
- Income
- $3,990/yrGNI per capita PPP
- Road deaths
- 20.5 /100kWHO, 2019
- Political stability
- 64/100WGI, 2024 · higher = more stable
- Rule of law
- 47/100WGI, 2024
- Corruption perceptions
- 37/100Transparency Intl, 2025 · higher = cleaner
- Natural-hazard risk
- 5.8/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
- Women, Peace & Security
- 0.57GIWPS, 2025 · 0-1, higher = better
- Air quality
- 20.2 µg/m³PM2.5, 2023 · WHO guideline is 5
- Safe drinking water
- no dataof population · WHO/UNICEF JMP
- Healthcare capacity
- 0.3 doctors /1k2.0 hospital beds per 1,000
- Malaria
- 252 /1k at riskWHO, 2024 · endemic countries only
Natural hazards
- Drought
- 5.5/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
- Flood
- 4.8/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
- Earthquake
- 2.5/10EU INFORM, 2026 · higher = riskier
Hazard types scoring under 1 out of 10 are not listed.
Same-sex sexual activity is criminalized in Zambia (as of 2025). This describes the law on the books, not necessarily enforcement practice.
How Zambia compares
| Measure | Zambia | World median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homicide rate | 5.2 /100k | 2.4 /100k | +2.8 /100k — better for World median |
| Income inequality (Gini) | 51.5 | 35.2 | +16.3 — better for World median |
| Human development (HDI) | 0.595 | 0.763 | −0.168 — better for World median |
| Road deaths | 20.5 /100k | 15.4 /100k | +5.1 /100k — better for World median |
| Rule of law | 47/100 | 52/100 | −5/100 — better for World median |
| Corruption perceptions | 37/100 | 39/100 | −2/100 — better for World median |
| Air quality (PM2.5) | 20.2 µg/m³ | 19.7 µg/m³ | +0.5 µg/m³ — better for World median |
| Natural-hazard risk | 5.8/10 | 3.8/10 | +2.0/10 — better for World median |
| Measure | Zambia | Africa median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homicide rate | 5.2 /100k | 4.4 /100k | +0.8 /100k — better for Africa median |
| Income inequality (Gini) | 51.5 | 38.3 | +13.3 — better for Africa median |
| Human development (HDI) | 0.595 | 0.560 | +0.035 — better for Zambia |
| Road deaths | 20.5 /100k | 28.2 /100k | −7.7 /100k — better for Zambia |
| Rule of law | 47/100 | 42/100 | +5/100 — better for Zambia |
| Corruption perceptions | 37/100 | 30/100 | +7/100 — better for Zambia |
| Air quality (PM2.5) | 20.2 µg/m³ | 27.7 µg/m³ | −7.5 µg/m³ — better for Zambia |
| Natural-hazard risk | 5.8/10 | 5.2/10 | +0.6/10 — better for Africa median |
Medians, not means, so one extreme country cannot drag the reference value. Each row compares only the countries that have a published figure for that measure, and differences are plain arithmetic between stored values.
All 18 cities, safest first
- Lusaka55.6 · #4799 worldwide
- Kitwe55.6 · #4800 worldwide
- Ndola55.6 · #4801 worldwide
- Mansa55.6 · #4802 worldwide
- Chingola55.6 · #4803 worldwide
- Kabwe55.6 · #4804 worldwide
- Kasama55.6 · #4805 worldwide
- Livingstone55.6 · #4806 worldwide
- Chipata55.6 · #4807 worldwide
- Mufulira55.6 · #4808 worldwide
- Kapiri Mposhi55.6 · #4809 worldwide
- Choma55.6 · #4810 worldwide
- Solwezi55.6 · #4811 worldwide
- Chilanga55.6 · #4812 worldwide
- Mongu55.6 · #4813 worldwide
- Nakonde55.6 · #4814 worldwide
- Luanshya55.6 · #4815 worldwide
- Nchelenge49.1 · #5281 worldwide