Zambia vs Zimbabwe — Country Comparison

The flag of Zambia has a green field, on the fly side of which is a soaring orange African fish eagle above a rectangular area divided into three equal vertical bands of red, black and orange.Zambia VS The flag of Zimbabwe is composed of seven equal horizontal bands of green, yellow, red, black, red, yellow and green, with a white isosceles triangle superimposed on the hoist side of the field. This triangle is edged in black, spans about one-fourth the width of the field and has its base on the hoist end. A yellow Zimbabwe Bird superimposed on a five-pointed red star is centered in the triangle.Zimbabwe

Zambia and Zimbabwe side by side: Zambia is the larger country (752,612 km² vs 390,757 km², roughly 1.9× the size), while Zambia has the bigger population (19.7 million vs 17.1 million). The full comparison table below covers capitals, currencies, languages, dialling codes, timezones and more.

Facts last checked 9 October 2026.

FactZambiaZimbabwe
CapitalLusakaHarare
Population19,693,42317,073,087
Area752,612 km²390,757 km²
CurrencyZambian kwachaZimbabwean dollar
LanguagesEnglishShona, Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zimbabwean Sign Language
Dialling code+260+263
Main timezoneUTC+02:00UTC+02:00
Drives on theLeftLeft
RegionEastern AfricaSouthern Africa
Emergency number112 (works on most mobile networks worldwide)112 (works on most mobile networks worldwide)

Key differences: Zambia vs Zimbabwe

Want the full picture for each country? See Zambia and Zimbabwe, or compare their population pages: Zambia · Zimbabwe.

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Zambia vs Zimbabwe — FAQ

Which is bigger, Zambia or Zimbabwe?

Zambia is bigger by area: 752,612 km² vs 390,757 km², roughly 1.9× the size of Zimbabwe.

Is Zambia bigger than Zimbabwe?

Yes — Zambia covers 752,612 km², compared to 390,757 km² for Zimbabwe.

Which has more people, Zambia or Zimbabwe?

Zambia has the larger population: 19,693,423 (19.7 million) vs 17,073,087 (17.1 million).

How does the size of Zambia compare to Zimbabwe?

Zambia (752,612 km²) is about 1.9× larger than Zimbabwe (390,757 km²).

Do Zambia and Zimbabwe use the same currency?

No — Zambia uses the Zambian kwacha and Zimbabwe uses the Zimbabwean dollar.

Are Zambia and Zimbabwe on the same continent?

Yes — both are in Africa.

What is the time difference between Zambia and Zimbabwe?

Zambia and Zimbabwe are in the same time zone (UTC+02:00).

Do Zambia and Zimbabwe share an official language?

Yes — both share English as an official language.

Do Zambia and Zimbabwe share a border?

Yes — Zambia and Zimbabwe share a land border.

Which is more densely populated, Zambia or Zimbabwe?

Zimbabwe is more densely populated at roughly 44 people per km², compared to 26 for Zambia.

How far is Zambia from Zimbabwe?

The distance between the geographic centres of Zambia and Zimbabwe is roughly 560 km (350 miles) in a straight line. Actual travel distances between cities will differ.

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