Plugs and voltage
Zambia uses Type G sockets; Types C and D are also found. Mains supply is 230 V at 50 Hz.
Type G is standard; Type C and D sockets are also found.
At 230 V, devices made only for 100–127 V (many American and Japanese hair dryers, curling irons and some shavers) will be damaged without a step-down converter. Chargers labelled “100–240V” work fine with just a plug adapter.
Money
ZK Zambian Kwacha ZMW
Average in 2025: 1 USD = 25.28 ZMW (World Bank). No daily reference rate is published for this currency by the ECB; check a live rate before exchanging.
Price level 33 (US = 100, 2025)
Everyday household prices in Zambia are about 33% of US prices when converted at market exchange rates: cheaper than the median country (50). All countries
Language
- Englishofficial16%
Bars show the share of the population that speaks each language (CLDR estimates).
Time
Zambia is on UTC+2, with no daylight saving time.
Driving
Traffic in Zambia drives on the left, so the steering wheel is on the right. All left-driving countries
Public holidays in the next 12 months
17 national public holidays from 2 November 2026. Banks, offices and many shops close; regional holidays are not shown. Dates marked “estimated” follow a lunar calendar and can move by a day.
December 2026
- Christmas Day
January 2027
- New Year's Day
March 2027
- International Women's Day
- Youth Day
- Good Friday
- Holy Saturday
- Easter Sunday
- Easter Monday
April 2027
- Kenneth Kaunda Day
May 2027
- Labour Day
- Africa Freedom Day
July 2027
- Heroes' Day
- Unity Day
August 2027
- Farmers' Day
October 2027
- National Prayer Day
- Independence Day
- Independence Day (observed)
Travel advisories
United States · State Department
Level 1 Exercise normal precautions
Read the full advisory. Checked 2026-11-02.
United Kingdom · FCDO
No warnings The FCDO does not advise against travel to Zambia.
Updated 2026-06-01. Read the full advice. Checked 2026-11-02.
Advisories are written for each government's own citizens and change without notice: read the original before you travel.
Other practical facts
- Calling code
- +260
- Internet domain
- .zm
- Measurement
- Metric
- Paper size
- A4
- Week starts on
- Monday
- Read more
- Wikipedia
More in Eastern Africa
Flag: Flag of Zambia.svg, Public domain. Arms: Coat of arms of Zambia.svg, Public domain. Electricity: resolved by intl.life from three sources, see methodology.
