Changing the world

Together, we are supporting the people of Zambia build a resilient and diversified economy

Inclusive growth focuses on strengthening capacities and providing an enabling environment for access to opportunities, focusing on the most vulnerable and excluded population groups.

We promote an integrated approach that tackles multidimensional poverty, inequality and exclusion, sustainability, while enhancing knowledge, skills and technologies to enlarge peoples’ choices, reduce risks and sustain development gains.

Read more
Human Development Report

In 1990 the first Human Development Report introduced a new approach for advancing human wellbeing. Human development – or the human development approach – is about expanding the richness of human life, rather than simply the richness of the economy in which human beings live. It is an approach that is focused on people and their opportunities and choices.

Read more
Environmental sustainability remains a challenge for Zambia. High rates of deforestation and low access to clean drinking water, sanitation and renewable energy are our focal areas.

Environmental sustainability remains a challenge for Zambia. High rates of deforestation and low access to clean drinking water, sanitation and renewable energy are our focal areas.

Read more

We focus on strengthening accountability mechanisms through legal reforms and institutional strengthening for corruption risk assessments.

Read more

Latest news

article
Empowering girls to achieve economic independence through STEM education to fight against GBV

In a country where girls face shattered dreams due to child marriage, Ritah Muchimba, 18, is one of the growing numbers of Zambian girls breaking with the tradition in her village and has set her sights on becoming an electrical engineer. Hailing from Kalimina Village in the Central Province, Ritah, a grade 12 pupil from Momboshi Secondary School in Chisamba District, is girl with big dreams and an incredibly bright future. She wants to be an electrical engineer with a nation-wide impact, and with an education and access to supportive institutional structures, she believes she can achieve her goal.

Read more
article
Leave nothing behind; UNDP Innovator turns copper by-product into cook stove energy

The Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation during its Main News (4th June 2022) reported that a mother and her two month old child lost their lives whilst the woman’s husband barely survived after suffocating from carbon monoxide released by a charcoal-managed brazier left burning while they slept. The sad incident occurred in Kalikiliki, a highly populated residential area in Lusaka, where safe and clean heating and cooking solutions are elusive.

This unfortunate case is typical during the cold season currently being experienced in the country. During this season, most homes resort to home heating measures that are hazardous despite the dangers associated with them.

Read more
article
Delving into the rich field of Artisanal Small-Scale Mining and Development Minerals

The women and youth dominated space of artisanal small-scale mining (ASM) presents many opportunities for innovation, development and stimulation of the local fabrication and manufacturing industry. The cooperatives and miners within the space work tirelessly to convert development minerals like quartz, silica, river sand, and granulite into valuable goods ready for industrial and commercial use.
ASM is a broad field, encompassing the creation of value from a range of raw materials to produce goods such as bricks and paving stones for construction, quarry dust and silica for use in the mining industry, granite and gemstones for counter tops, jewellery, and decorative items for retail.

Read more
article
Racing to end gender-based violence: When men and boys get involved

For most of his 38 years, Evaristo Muyayama saw domestic violence as “a normal part of life” in a patriarchal society where deeply entrenched traditional concepts of gender demand women not to challenge their husbands.

“I used to beat up my wife so badly in the presence of our children but after a series of gender-based violence awareness training, my behaviour and attitude towards her changed following the introduction of the Zambia National Men’s Network on Gender and Development in our village. Peace has returned home,” Evaristo said.

Read more

What we do

UNDP works with the Government and people of Zambia to achieve the vision 2030 , the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the implementation of Government's development plans. Our work in the country, is guided corporately by the UNDP Strategic Plan, the United Nations Sustainable Development Partnership Framework and our Country Programme Document (CPD). We are structured around four distinct and yet interlinked programmatic areas; environment and energy, governance and gender, inclusive growth and SDGs; and health systems strengthening for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Stories

stories

Innovation helps Zambia women and youths bounce back in cross-border trade

Lilian Masiye, an informal female cross border trader, was in dire straits. After sales at her duvets stall plummeted, she applied for a loan from a bank to keep her business going. She was unable to access funding because she did not have a fixed salary or own any property that the bank requires as collateral. “It was emotionally disturbing,” she sighs, with her smile temporarily giving way to a frown. Lilian had a somewhat flourishing business – importing and selling duvets and kitchenware in Zambia’s tourist capital, Livingstone, a hub for visitors to the Victoria Falls, bordering with Zimbabwe - before the COVID-19 pandemic struck. “I had to borrow money to pay my children’s school fees. My business had been doing well but COVID-19 has pushed me in an awkward situation. Feeding my family is another daily worry,” said the 53-years-old widow whose only wish is for the coronavirus to “go away soon.”

stories
Lilian Masiye, an informal female cross border trader, was in dire straits. After sales at her duvets stall plummeted, she applied for a loan from a bank to keep her business going. She was unable to access funding because she did not have a fixed salary or own any property that the bank requires as collateral.

Zambia at a Glance

18.4

million

There are approximately 18.4 million people in Zambia

50.5

percent

of the population of Zambia are women.

0.584

HDI (2020)

Zambia’s HDI value for 2019 is 0.584— which put the country in the medium human development category—positioning it at 146 out of 189 countries and territories.

63.8

years

Life expectancy at birth

36.7

Percent

population between 15 - 35 years old

1,160

per capita GNI

Take Action

Connect
Get connected today
Connect
Learn more about working with UNDP in Zambia. Browse our job opportunities.
Join us
Join us
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), otherwise known as the Global Goals, are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
SDGs
Learn about SDGs