Subdivisions of Zambia: provinces, capitals and districts by province
Zambia is divided into ten provinces and, below them, into districts. This page gives every province with its capital and ISO code, the 73 districts of the list sorted by province, and the districts added since, which bring the national total to 116.
- Provinces
- 10
- Groups
- 1
Updated
Where the province and district names come from
Every name on this page is in English, the official language of Zambia, and the same spelling is used in the regional languages. Province names describe the map: Northern, Eastern, Southern, Western, North-Western and Central, plus the Copperbelt, Luapula and Muchinga. Muchinga takes its name from the Muchinga Escarpment, on which most of the province lies (Wikipedia, Muchinga Province).
District names come from their seats. Kitwe District is run from Kitwe, Kalomo District from Kalomo, and so on; Wikipedia's Provinces of Zambia names Mafinga and Kanchibiya as the only two districts whose headquarters carry a different name. A few spellings vary between sources: the list writes Shangombo where current lists have Shang'ombo.
The 10 provinces of Zambia with capitals and ISO 3166-2 codes
Every province of Zambia with its capital and its ISO 3166-2 code. Codes run from ZM-01 Western to ZM-10 Muchinga. Southern Province is governed from Choma since 2011.
Provinces 10
| Province | Capital | ISO 3166-2 |
|---|---|---|
Western Province
|
Mongu
|
ZM-01ISO name: Western
|
Central Province
|
Kabwe
|
ZM-02ISO name: Central
|
Eastern Province
|
Chipata
|
ZM-03ISO name: Eastern
|
Luapula Province
|
Mansa
|
ZM-04ISO name: Luapula
|
Northern Province
|
Kasama
|
ZM-05ISO name: Northern
|
North-Western Province
|
Solwezi
|
ZM-06ISO name: North-Western
|
Southern Province
|
ChomaProvincial capital moved from Livingstone to Choma (2011)
|
ZM-07ISO name: Southern
|
Copperbelt Province
|
Ndola
|
ZM-08ISO name: Copperbelt
|
Lusaka Province
|
Lusaka
|
ZM-09ISO name: Lusaka
|
Muchinga Province
|
Chinsali
|
ZM-10added 2014
|
Codes: ISO 3166-2:ZM on the ISO Online Browsing Platform, change of 3 November 2014, as tabulated in Wikipedia's ISO 3166-2:ZM, checked 28 October 2026. Capitals: Wikipedia's Provinces of Zambia, checked 28 October 2026.
The 73 districts of the list, province by province
Each province with the districts the list gives for it, 73 in all, before the wave of new districts that brought the total to 116. The group heading shows how many districts the province has today.
Western Province 7
| District |
|---|
Kalabo
|
Kaoma
|
Lukulu
|
Mongu
|
Senanga
|
Sesheke
|
Shangombo
|
Central Province 6
| District |
|---|
Chibombo
|
Kabwe
|
Kapiri Mposhi
|
Mkushi
|
Mumbwa
|
Serenje
|
Eastern Province 7
| District |
|---|
Chadiza
|
Chipata
|
Katete
|
Lundazi
|
Mambwe
|
Nyimba
|
Petauke
|
Luapula Province 7
| District |
|---|
Chiengi
|
Kawambwa
|
Mansa
|
Milenge
|
Mwense
|
Nchelenge
|
Samfya
|
Northern Province 8
| District |
|---|
Chilubi
|
Kaputa
|
Kasama
|
Luwingu
|
Mbala
|
Mporokoso
|
Mpulungu
|
Mungwi
|
North-Western Province 7
| District |
|---|
Chavuma
|
Kabompo
|
Kasempa
|
Mufumbwe
|
Mwinilunga
|
Solwezi
|
Zambezi
|
Southern Province 11
| District |
|---|
Choma
|
Gwembe
|
Itezhi-Tezhi
|
Kalomo
|
Kazungula
|
Livingstone
|
Mazabuka
|
Monze
|
Namwala
|
Siavonga
|
Sinazongwe
|
Copperbelt Province 10
| District |
|---|
Chililabombwe
|
Chingola
|
Kalulushi
|
Kitwe
|
Luanshya
|
Lufwanyama
|
Masaiti
|
Mpongwe
|
Mufulira
|
Ndola
|
Lusaka Province 4
| District |
|---|
Chongwe
|
Kafue
|
Luangwa
|
Lusaka
|
Muchinga Province 6
| District |
|---|
Chama
|
Chinsali
|
Isoka
|
Mafinga
|
Mpika
|
Nakonde
|
Most districts share the name of their seat, so the list also serves as a list of district towns. Chama, placed in Muchinga here, is listed under Eastern Province again in Wikipedia's Districts of Zambia.
Districts created since the list
The districts that Wikipedia's Districts of Zambia lists today and the list above does not, sorted by province.
| Province | New | Districts |
|---|---|---|
Western | 9 | Limulunga, Luampa, Mitete, Mulobezi, Mwandi, Nalolo, Nkeyema, Sikongo, Sioma |
Central | 5 | Chisamba, Chitambo, Luano, Ngabwe, Shibuyunji |
Eastern | 8 | Chama, Chasefu, Chipangali, Kasenengwa, Lumezi, Lusangazi, Sinda, Vubwi |
Luapula | 5 | Chembe, Chifunabuli, Chipili, Lunga, Mwansabombwe |
Northern | 4 | Lunte, Lupososhi, Nsama, Senga |
North-Western | 4 | Ikelenge, Kalumbila, Manyinga, Mushindamo |
Southern | 4 | Chikankata, Chirundu, Pemba, Zimba |
Lusaka | 2 | Chilanga, Rufunsa |
Muchinga | 3 | Kanchibiya, Lavushimanda, Shiwang'andu |
Muchinga, Choma and 116 districts
Two changes reached the first level. Muchinga Province was created in 2011 from Chinsali, Isoka, Mpika and Nakonde in the north and Chama in the east, with Chinsali as its capital, and ISO gave it the code ZM-10 on 3 November 2014. In the same year Choma replaced Livingstone as the capital of Southern Province (Wikipedia, Muchinga Province).
The second level grew much more. Zambia had 72 districts from 1997 until the 2011 election; new districts were then created step by step until the total reached 116 in April 2018 (Wikipedia, Districts of Zambia). Western Province went from seven districts in the list to sixteen, Eastern from seven to fifteen. Copperbelt alone kept its ten districts unchanged.
Questions about the provinces and districts of Zambia
How many districts does Zambia have?
116 since April 2018, in ten provinces. Before 2011 there were 72.
What is the capital of Southern Province?
Choma. It replaced Livingstone as provincial capital in 2011.
Which is the newest province of Zambia?
Muchinga, created in 2011 with its capital at Chinsali. ISO coded it ZM-10 in 2014.