Zambia is divided into ten provinces. The provinces are further subdivided into districts. The Provincial Administration is headed by a Provincial Minister, who is appointed by the President, and is responsible for overseeing the implementation of government policies and coordinating the activities of various government departments within the province. The Provincial Minister is supported by a Provincial Permanent Secretary, who handles the day-to-day administration. Each province has a Provincial Development Coordinating Committee (PDCC) that plays a key role in development planning and coordinating projects within the province.

The current provinces were established following Zambia's independence in 1964, although their borders and functions have evolved over time to support the country’s decentralization efforts.

List of provinces +Province (Population figures are from the census of 2022).CapitalArea (km2)2022 Census of Population and Housing - Preliminary Report (PDF)Population (2022)Density(people/km2)DistrictsMap Central Kabwe 94,394 2,252,483 23.9 11 Copperbelt Ndola 31,328 2,757,539 88 10 Eastern Chipata 51,476 2,454,788 35.6 15 Luapula Mansa 50,567 1,514,011 29.9 12 Lusaka Lusaka 21,896 3,079,964 140.1 6 Muchinga ChinsaliZambia's 10th Province, Muchinga, Ministry of Local Government and Housing, Zambia 87,806 918,296 13.1 8 Northern Kasama 77,650 1,618,412 20.8 12 North-Western Solwezi 125,826 1,270,028 10.1 11 Southern Choma 85,283 2,381,728 27.7 15 Western Mongu 126,386 1,363,520 10.8 16 Zambia Lusaka 752,612 19,610,769 26.1 116

Administration The provincial government in Zambia is primarily established for administrative purposes. Each province is headed by a Provincial Minister appointed by the President, who oversees the implementation of national policies and government programs at the provincial level. The administrative head of each province is the Provincial Permanent Secretary, also appointed by the President, who is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the province. Supporting the Permanent Secretary are the Deputy Permanent Secretary, heads of government departments, and other civil servants at the provincial level.

Provinces are further divided into districts, with 116 districts across the 10 provinces. Each district (except for Mafinga and Kanchibiya) shares its name with its headquarters. Within each district, there is a council headed by an elected representative known as a Councilor. Councilors hold office for five years and play a key role in local governance.

The administrative staff of the council is selected by the Local Government Service Commission, either from within or outside the district. The office of the provincial government is located in each district headquarters and includes provincial local government officers and auditors.

Each council is responsible for raising and collecting local taxes. These funds are crucial for the council's operations, which include maintaining infrastructure and delivering services. The council's budget is audited annually and submitted to the central government for review. Councilors do not receive salaries but are compensated with allowances funded by the council.

Zambia’s provinces are predominantly rural, with only five city councils, namely Lusaka, Ndola, Kitwe, Livingstone and Chipata. The Zambian government has outlined 63 different functions for the councils, focusing mainly on infrastructure management and local administration. These functions include maintaining community centers, parks, drainage systems, playgrounds, cemeteries, libraries, museums, and art galleries.

In addition to these responsibilities, councils collaborate with specific government departments to support agriculture, natural resource conservation, postal services, and the establishment and maintenance of hospitals, schools, and colleges. The councils also prepare schemes to encourage community participation and development at the local level.

Primary data Western Province is the largest in terms of area, having 126,386 km2, while Lusaka Province was the smallest with 21,896 km2. In terms of population, Lusaka District is the most populated and most densely populated with a population of 2,204,059 and density of 140 persons per km2 as of the 2022 Zambian census. As of 2010, Western Province had the highest sex ratio of 108 females for every 100 males, while Copperbelt had the lowest of 101. Northern had the highest number of basic schools, while Copperbelt had the highest number of high schools. The unemployment rate of youth (55%) and general unemployment rate (32%) was the highest in Copperbelt province, while Eastern had the lowest unemployment rate of 6 per cent. AIDS death was maximum in Copperbelt with 26,799 recorded deaths in 2010, while it was lowest in North-Western with 2,859 recorded deaths. Lusaka Province had the most doctors and fewest malaria related incidents, while North-Western has the lowest number of doctors.

+ Primary data of Zambia Provinces Parameter Year Central Copperbelt Eastern Luapula Lusaka Muchinga Province Northern North-Western Southern WesternCapital Kabwe Ndola Chipata Mansa LusakaChinsaliKasamaSolweziChomaMonguProvincial Minister 2022Hon. Mwabashike NkulukusaHon. Elisha MatamboHon. Peter PhiriHon. Njavwa SimutoweHon. Sheal MulyataHon. Henry SikazweHon. Leonard MbaoHon. Robert LihefuHon. Credo NanjuwaHon. Kapelwa MbangwetaLand area, km2 94,394 31,328 51,476 50,567 21,89687,80677,650125,82685,283126,386Population, persons 20222,252,483 2,757,539 2,454,788 1,514,011 3,079,964918,2961,618,4121,270,0282,381,7281,363,520Population density, people per km2 202224 88 36 30 1401321102811Sex Ratio (females per 100 males) 2010102 101 103 103 102103102103104108Basic Schools 2004653 856 861 527 502No data1,208536995648High Schools 200428 71 41 20 39No data26234526Out of School Children Aged 7–15 200433,081 14,332 132,728 58,887 90,620No data22,34826,83430,39036,984Unemployment rate (%) 20089 32 6 6 31No data714710Unemployment rate, Youth (%) 200818 55 12 14 52No data01231618Doctors 2005035213 36 30 231No data40255046Malaria Incidence rate per 1,000 population 2005331 377 447 407 313No data331439344430AIDS Deaths 20109,016 26,799 9,338 5,209 15,429No data6,9582,85912,4036,044

Economy Agriculture is the major profession in most of the provinces in Zambia. Maize, mixed beans, rice, sorghum, soya beans, sunflower, sweet potatoes and wheat are the major crops in the provinces. Among all provinces, Central had the maximum area, , constituting 20.64 per cent of the total, while Luapula had the smallest area at 3.06 per cent. Maize production was maximum in Eastern (22.5%), mixed beans (51.66%) in Northern, sorghum in Southern (40.62%), sunflower in Eastern (70.2%), soya beans (45.06%), sweet potatoes (28.5%) and wheat (49.51%) in Central Province. + Agriculture data of Zambia Provinces in 2014 Paramaeter Central Copperbelt Eastern Luapula Lusaka Muchinga Province Northern North-Western Southern WesternArea Planted (HA) 391,593.23 122,525.52 387,273.09 57,966.31 82,603.72112,345.23191,104.5679,528.80360,160.32112,153.47Maize Production723,760.85235,415.71745,580.30131,746.91148,290.62 244,978.50283,755.88160,866.33597,999.4178,276.86Mixed Beans Production 5,316.43 1,213.88 2,794.77 4,130.48 673.80 9,277.3331,898.084,446.711,685.30312.13Rice Production 017.85 004.24 900.37 2,254.43 036.53 6,928.6318,169.24445.61021.2220,861.51Sorghum Production 452.85 587.45 200.49 105.83 320.21 3,118.55283.551,038.134,694.90755.44Soya Beans Production 96,518.03 37,609.86 17,534.11 430.00 32,237.44 2,245.704,742.11579.6722,203.88077.92Sun Flower Production 2,872.09 028.67 24,053.17 005.58 049.21 432.17764.17014.866,042.08001.66Sweet Potatoes Production 42,787.85 11,603.63 7,842.74 11,356.02 4,689.72 18,151.3411,636.018,200.7631,048.672,841.24Wheat Production 99,758.27 28,690.00 120.00 000.00 48,509.73 000.00000.00000.0024,426.13000.00Grand Total 971,484.23 315,153.44 799,025.94 150,029.26 234,807.26 285,132.23351,249.04175,592.09688,121.60103,126.75 +Maize Production 2022/2023 Trade YearCentralCopperbeltEasternLuapulaLusakaMuchingaNorthernNorth-WesternSouthernWesternTotalArea Harvested266,864109,399272,01967,11766,76584,533152,02877,014235,34987,2821,418,370Production (MT)681,913317,771544,303174,106138,395258,318376,133225,296448,47996,9713,261,685Percentage Contribution21%10%17%5%4%8%12%7%14%3%100%Yield (MT/Ha)2.62.92.02.62.13.02.52.91.91.12.3

Human development This is a list of 9 provinces by Human Development Index as of 2017. Medium Human DevelopmentRankProvince2017 HDI1Lusaka0.6722Copperbelt0.6703Southern0.590- (average)0.5894Central0.5725North-Western0.564Low Human Development6Northern0.5387Western0.5318Luapula0.5289Eastern 0.507

See also Districts of Zambia Subdivisions of Zambia Bibliography of the history of Zambia ISO 3166-2:ZM

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