Government of Zambia, UNHCR launch Forced Displacement Survey on Africa Statistics Day

Marking Africa Statistics Day today, the Government of the Republic of Zambia through the Zambia Statistics Agency (ZamStats) and the Office of the Commissioner for Refugees (COR) within the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security, together with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency has launched a comprehensive socioeconomic assessment on refugees and local hosting communities in the country.

Dubbed the High-level Forced Displacement Survey (FDS) Report Snapshot and funded by the European Union, with support from UNICEF, the report seeks to generate robust evidence to guide inclusive, data-driven policymaking in line with Zambia’s National Refugee Policy (2023) and its Implementation Plan. It also establishes a baseline for refugees, former refugees, and host communities, enabling programme design and the measurement of long-term impacts of Zambia’s sustainability approach, which emphasizes private-sector solutions to forced displacement.

The assessment was done in three refugee-hosting areas, namely Meheba in Kalumbila, Mantapala in Nchelenge, and Mayukwayukwa in Kaoma, and in Lusaka between April and August 2025. A sample of 4,310 families from refugee, former refugee, and host communities participated in the survey. While their circumstances vary, both groups face overlapping challenges that heighten protection risks and limit self-reliance.

Speaking at the launch event, Mr Arefu Araki, Senior Development Officer at the UNHCR Multi-Country Office for Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe said, “This is a critical initiative that strengthens understanding of the profiles and needs of both refugees and host communities. By ensuring they are visible, heard, and counted, and provides an essential foundation for inclusive and sustainable policies and programmes.”

Key findings from the report include relatively high poverty rates, particularly in Mantapala. The data identifies challenges for primary students in transitioning to secondary school as well as retention and completion, which requires targeted support to adolescents from refugees, former refugees and Zambians. Mobility remains limited, restricting the access of forcibly displaced persons to broader opportunities for self-reliance. There are, however, positive indications in access to health as well as identity documentation for refugees, facilitating their inclusion in national services.

“The production of quality statistics is essential for data-driven decision making that leads to more effective, transparent and accountable governance, including economic growth and social justice, which is attainable as data helps identify and address inequalities, ensuring that all Africans have access to basic services and opportunities,” said Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane, Minister of Finance and National Planning.

"ZamStats stands ready to continue leading the modernisation of our National Statistical System, strengthening partnerships, and delivering evidence that transforms lives. One of these partnerships is the tripartite memorandum of understanding between ZamStats, the Office of the Commissioner for Refugees and the UN Refugee Agency that delivered on the Forced Displacement Survey,” said Sheila Mudenda, Acting Statistician General, ZamStats.

This initiative directly supports Zambia’s Global Refugee Forum pledge to ensure that by the end of 2025, refugees will be included and distinctly reflected in national statistics, including census data. The survey also promotes durable solutions, resilience-building, and development-oriented support, aligning with the Global Compact and the overarching principle of leaving no one behind.

As of 31 October 2025, Zambia hosts 113,389 forcibly displaced people across 41,692 households, mainly residing in Meheba, Mayukwayukwa, and Mantapala settlements (76%), with the remainder in urban areas (24%). Most new arrivals come from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

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Note to Editors:

• The UNHCR Forced Displacement Survey High Level Snapshot Report is available here: https://www.unhcr.org/publications/forced-displacement-survey-zambia-2025

• The UNHCR Forced Displacement Survey Microdata is publicly available here: https://microdata.unhcr.org/index.php/catalog/1423

• The Forced Displacement Survey is UNHCR’s new flagship household survey program, designed to standardize and streamline survey methods to produce high-quality, timely data on forcibly displaced individuals.

• The Survey findings provide essential evidence for designing targeted, sustainable interventions for forcibly displaced populations and their host communities. By offering detailed, current data on vulnerabilities, socioeconomic conditions, service access, coping strategies, and self-reliance, the survey empowers UNHCR, government, development partners, private sector actors, academia, and civil society to develop context-specific programs based on real needs.

For more information, please contact:

• Stephanie Perham, [email protected]; +260 777 229 957

• Kelvin Shimoh, [email protected]; +260 979 585 832