Government & politics — Zambia
Government structure, legal system, citizenship, and international relations.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Government & politics at a glance
Government structure, legal system, citizenship, and international relations. Key figure for Zambia: Republic of Zambia
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Identity & names
- Full Country Name
Republic of Zambia
- Country Name
Zambia
- Former Name
Northern Rhodesia
- Etymology- history of name
name derived from the Zambezi River, which flows through the western part of the country and forms its southern border with neighboring Zimbabwe
- Independence
24 October 1964 (from the UK)
- National Holiday
Independence Day, 24 October (1964)
Political system
- Government Type
presidential republic
- Constitution
- history: several previous; latest adopted 24 August 1991,
- promulgated 30 August 1991 amendments: proposed by the National Assembly; passage requires two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly in two separate readings at least 30 days apart; passage of amendments affecting fundamental rights and freedoms requires approval by at least one half of votes cast in a referendum prior to consideration and voting by the Assembly; amended 1996, 2015, 2016; note - in late 2020, an amendment which would have altered the structure of the constitution was defeated in the National Assembly
- Legal System:
mixed legal system of English common law and customary law
- Executive Branch:
- chief of state: President Hakainde HICHILEMA (since 24 August 2021); Vice President Mutale NALUMANGO (since 24 August 2021); note - the president is
- both chief of state and head of government head of government: President Hakainde HICHILEMA (since 24 August 2021); V
- ice President Mutale NALUMANGO (since 24 August 2021) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by president from
- among members of the National Assembly elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); last held
- on 12 August 2021 (next to be held in 2026) election results: 2021: Hakainde HICHILEMA elected president; percent of the vote - Hakainde HICHILEMA (UPND) 57.9%, Edgar LUNGU (PF) 37.3%, other 4.8% 2016: Edgar LUNGU re-elected president; percent of vote - Edgar LUNGU (PF) 50.4%, Hakainde HICHILEMA (UPND) 47.6%, other 2%
- Legislative Branch:
Description
unicameral National Assembly (167 seats; 156 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote in 2 rounds if needed, and up to 8 appointed by the president; members serve 5-year terms); 3 ex-officio members elected by National Assembly membership
Elections
last held on 12 August 2021 (next to be held in 2026)
Election Results
- percent of vote by party - UPND 53.9%, PF 38.1%, PNUP 0.6%, independent 7.4%
- seats by party - UPND 82, PF 62, PNUP 1, independent 11;
Composition
men 136, women 20, percent of women 13.5%; 156 seats filled;
- Judicial Branch:
- highest courts: Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice, deputy chief justice, and at least 11 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of the court president, vice president, and 11 judges); note - the Constitutional Court be
- gan operation in June 2016 judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court and Constitutional Court judges appointed by the president of the republic upon the advice of the 9-member Judicial Service Commission, which is headed by the chief justice, and ratified by the National Assembly;
- judges normally serve until age 65 subordinate courts: Court of Appeal; High Court; Industrial Relations Court; subordinate courts (3 levels, based on upper limit of money involved); Small Claims Court; local courts (2 grades, based on upper limit of money involved)
- Regions or States:
Summary
10 provinces
Regions or States
- Central
- Copperbelt
- Eastern
- Luapula
- Lusaka
- Muchinga
- Northern
- North-Western
- Southern
- Western
- Political Parties and Leaders:
- Alliance for Democracy and Development or ADD [Charles MILUPI]
- Forum for Democracy and Development or FDD [Edith NAWAKWI]
- Movement for Multiparty Democracy or MMD [Dr. Nevers MUMBA]
- Party of National Unity and Progress or PNUP [Highvie HAMUDUDU]
- Patriotic Front or PF [Edgar LUNGU]
- United Party for National Development or UPND [Hakainde HICHILEMA]
- Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
- Citizenship Criteria:
- citizenship by birth: only if at least
- one parent is a citizen of Zambia citizenship by descent only: yes, if at least o
- yes residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years for those with an ancestor who was a citizen of Zambia, otherwise 10 years residency is required
Capital & time
- Capital Name
Lusaka
- Capital - geographic coordinate
15 25 S, 28 17 E
- Capital Time Difference
UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
International role
- International Organization Participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
- International Law Organization Participation:
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
- Diplomatic Representation from US:
chief of mission
Ambassador Michael C. GONZALES (since 16 September 2022) embassy: Eastern end of Kabulonga Road, Ibex Hill, Lusaka mailing address: 2310 Lusaka Place, Washington DC 20521-2310
telephone
[260] (0) 211-357-000
FAX
[260] (0) 211-357-224
Email address and website
- ACSLusaka@state.gov
- https://zm.usembassy.gov/
- Diplomatic Representation in the US:
chief of mission
Ambassador Chibamba KANYAMA (since 30 June 2023)
chancery
2200 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone
[1] (202) 234-4009
FAX
[1] (202) 332-0826
Email address and website
- info@zambiaembassy.org
- https://www.zambiaembassy.org/