2023 Livestock Survey
3rd Series
Zambia, 2022 - 2023
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Identification
Survey ID Number
ZMB-ZSA-LS-2023-V1.0
Title
2023 Livestock Survey
Subtitle
3rd Series
Country
| Name | Country code |
|---|---|
| Zambia | ZMB |
Study type
Agricultural Survey [ag/oth]
Series Information
In pursuit of evidence-based planning, monitoring, and evaluation, the Government of the Republic of Zambia has prioritized the importance of quality statistics. Livestock statistics, among other key indicators, play a crucial role in analysing sector performance and assessing contributions to the National Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Accurate and up-to-date statistics therefore, are essential for informed decision-making and for reporting on various national and international frameworks such as the Sustainable Development Goals, the Malabo Declaration, the National Agricultural Investment Plans (NAIP), Vision 2030 and National Development Plans.
The 2023 Livestock survey is the third (3rd) in the series of surveys following the Livestock and Aquaculture Census of 2017/18 and the Livestock Survey of 2022 that have been produced in the past. The Government conducted the 2023 Livestock Survey, to reaffirm its commitment to maintaining updated livestock information as a top priority.
The 2023 Livestock survey is the third (3rd) in the series of surveys following the Livestock and Aquaculture Census of 2017/18 and the Livestock Survey of 2022 that have been produced in the past. The Government conducted the 2023 Livestock Survey, to reaffirm its commitment to maintaining updated livestock information as a top priority.
Abstract
The 2022 Livestock Survey was conducted to assess trends and to take livestock inventory. Due to growing demand for information on livestock production and productivity for various policy reasons, the Government has continued to support the collection of Livestock statistics data hence the 2023 Livestock Survey.The Survey was also conducted to validate the accuracy of the administrative data, track progress in the livestock population, and to update the existing information for evidence-based decision-making. These results will also be used to monitor progress on the implementation towards the achievement of the 8NDP, Sustainable Development Goals and Vision 2030.
The overall objective is to collect up-to-date estimates of basic demographics and livestock statistics that will be used to guide policy formulation; support cooperating partners; and the private sector decisions regarding investments and the development of the sector.
Specifically, the survey seeks to determine the following:
• The number of households and establishments participating in livestock and poultry raising as well
as honey production
• Population changes for major livestock species
• The livestock productivity levels in Zambia
• Population of poultry in the country
• The herd-structure for the major livestock species in the country
• The number of slaughters for the major livestock
• The livestock reproduction and management practices applied by the households in raising the
livestock;
• Milk production from households and establishments
• The major challenges affecting livestock and poultry production in Zambia;
• Forage production from households and establishments
• The number of eggs produced by households
• The quantity of honey produced by households and establishments
• The number of households engaged in raising major livestock breeds
• Provide data for measuring key economic performance indicators such Gross Value Added (GDP)
and its contribution to the economy
• Provide statistics which can be used to determine the deficit or surplus status of the different types
of livestock raised in Zambia
• Provide information to be used as a basis for determining the export potential of the country with
regard to livestock products
The overall objective is to collect up-to-date estimates of basic demographics and livestock statistics that will be used to guide policy formulation; support cooperating partners; and the private sector decisions regarding investments and the development of the sector.
Specifically, the survey seeks to determine the following:
• The number of households and establishments participating in livestock and poultry raising as well
as honey production
• Population changes for major livestock species
• The livestock productivity levels in Zambia
• Population of poultry in the country
• The herd-structure for the major livestock species in the country
• The number of slaughters for the major livestock
• The livestock reproduction and management practices applied by the households in raising the
livestock;
• Milk production from households and establishments
• The major challenges affecting livestock and poultry production in Zambia;
• Forage production from households and establishments
• The number of eggs produced by households
• The quantity of honey produced by households and establishments
• The number of households engaged in raising major livestock breeds
• Provide data for measuring key economic performance indicators such Gross Value Added (GDP)
and its contribution to the economy
• Provide statistics which can be used to determine the deficit or surplus status of the different types
of livestock raised in Zambia
• Provide information to be used as a basis for determining the export potential of the country with
regard to livestock products
Kind of Data
Sample survey data [ssd]
Unit of Analysis
Households
Establishments (commercial entities)
Establishments (commercial entities)
Version
Version Description
Version 1.0 (Edited, anonymized dataset for public distribution)
Version Date
2024-08
Version Notes
V1.0 is the final version
Scope
Notes
Demographic Characteristics of Household: Distribution of Household,Agriculture Household by Activity, Livestock Raising Households by se of Household Head,Age group and sex of Household head of Livestock/Poultry Households
Livestock Production and management
Animal reproduction and health
Animal Draught power
Milk Production and sales (fresh & sour)
Poiltry Production
Egg Production & sales from Households
Fprage production
Honey prodction and sale
Livestock Production and management
Animal reproduction and health
Animal Draught power
Milk Production and sales (fresh & sour)
Poiltry Production
Egg Production & sales from Households
Fprage production
Honey prodction and sale
Topics
| Topic |
|---|
| Demographic Characteristics of Households |
| Livestock Production and Management |
| Animal Reproduction and health |
| Animal Draught power |
| Milk Production and Sales (Fresh and Sour) |
| Poultry Production |
| Egg Production and Sales from Households |
| Forage Production |
| Honey Production and Sales |
Keywords
| Keyword |
|---|
| Livestock Production and Management |
| Animal Reproduction and health |
| Poultry Production |
| Egg Production and Sales from Households |
| Milk Production and Sales (Fresh and Sour) |
| Production |
| Calving |
Coverage
Geographic Coverage
The survey was conducted nationwide . It covered both rural and urban households in all the ten provinces. (that is, raising livestock and/poultry or bee keeping)
The survey also collected data from all livestock raising institutions/farms which operated as establishments on a 100 percent basis using a separate large scale questionnaire
The survey also collected data from all livestock raising institutions/farms which operated as establishments on a 100 percent basis using a separate large scale questionnaire
Universe
The Survey Covered all de jure Households memebers, households that raised livestock
Producers and sponsors
Primary investigators
| Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Ministry of Fisheries & Livestock | GRZ |
| Zambia Statistics Agency | Ministry of Finance and national Planning |
Producers
| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Ministry of Fishheries and Livestock | Funding | |
| Zambia Statistics Agency | Ministry of Fiannce and National Planning | Technical assistance |
| Indaba Agricultrual Policy Research Institute | Technical assistance |
Funding Agency/Sponsor
| Name | Abbreviation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock | GRZ | Funded the Survey |
Sampling
Sampling Procedure
The 2023 Livestock survey was designed to cover a representative sample of about 10,000 households residing in both rural and urban parts of the country. A total of 500 Enumeration Areas (EAs) were drawn from 36,770, EAs nationwide. The survey produced reliable estimates at national, provincial and Residence (rural/urban) levels.
At the time of sampling, the 2022 Census of population and Housing frame was used to provide data on the proportions of households that raised livestock. This information was used to categorize enumeration areas according to percentage of households rearing livestock.
Sampling Units (PSUs) for the survey.
In order to have reasonable estimates at provincial level and at the same time take into account variation in the sizes of the provinces, the survey adopted the Optimal Square Root sample allocation method (Leslie Kish, 1987). This approach offers a better compromise between equal and proportional allocation, that is, small sized strata (province) are allocated larger samples compared to proportional and equal allocations.
The 2023 Livestock survey was conducted with a sample of 500 EAs. All rural and urban households were explicitly stratified into categories based on the scale of their l livestock activities, that is, raising livestock and/poultry or bee keeping. The survey also collected data from all livestock raising institutions/farms which operated as establishments on a 100 percent basis using a separate large scale questionnaire.
The 2023 Livestock survey used a two-stage stratified cluster sample design. During the first stage, 500 EAs were selected with Probability Proportional to Estimated Size (PPES) within the respective strata. The measure of size used was population figures for each EA taken from the 2022 Census of Population and Housing. During the survey, households were listed and stratified according to their scale of livestock, poultry or bee keeping activities. Listing of all households in the selected EAs was done to provide basic agricultural data. A sample of 20 households was drawn and detailed interview conducted. They were three explicit categories created at the second sampling stage in each EA namely A, B and C. For the purposes of the survey 5, 5 and 10 households were selected from A, B and C categories, respectively. In cases where they were shortfalls in category C, all households in this category were included and the difference from 20 was equally allocated to categories B and A. If the difference from 20 could not be equally allocated to the two categories, one (1) more was allocated to category B households than category A
Where there was no household in category C, 10 sample households were allocated to category B, and 10 to category A.
Where there was no household in category C and less than 10 in category B, all those in B were included in the sample and the allocation in category A was increased to make up for the shortfall from the required number of 20 sample households.
Where all households in an EA fell in category A, all the required 20 sample households were selected from this category.
The following criteria was used to stratify households into the three (3) explicit categories: A, B and C.
Category C:
1. Households reporting Bee keeping or special livestock (sheep). When only 1 or 2 households in the EA reported Bee keeping or specified special livestock (sheep).
2. Households raising 50 or more cattle, 20 or more pigs, 30 or more goats, and
3. Households raising 50 or more chickens.
Category B:
1. Households reporting Bee keeping or sheep. When 3 to 5 households in the SEA report Bee keeping or specified livestock.
2. Households raising 10 to 49 cattle, 10 to 19 pigs, 10 to 29 goats, and households raising any number of chickens but less than 50.
Category A:
All households not in Category C and Category B.
Households raising less than 10 cattle, less than 10 goats, less than 10 pigs, and less than 50 chickens. All such households belong to category A.
At the time of sampling, the 2022 Census of population and Housing frame was used to provide data on the proportions of households that raised livestock. This information was used to categorize enumeration areas according to percentage of households rearing livestock.
Sampling Units (PSUs) for the survey.
In order to have reasonable estimates at provincial level and at the same time take into account variation in the sizes of the provinces, the survey adopted the Optimal Square Root sample allocation method (Leslie Kish, 1987). This approach offers a better compromise between equal and proportional allocation, that is, small sized strata (province) are allocated larger samples compared to proportional and equal allocations.
The 2023 Livestock survey was conducted with a sample of 500 EAs. All rural and urban households were explicitly stratified into categories based on the scale of their l livestock activities, that is, raising livestock and/poultry or bee keeping. The survey also collected data from all livestock raising institutions/farms which operated as establishments on a 100 percent basis using a separate large scale questionnaire.
The 2023 Livestock survey used a two-stage stratified cluster sample design. During the first stage, 500 EAs were selected with Probability Proportional to Estimated Size (PPES) within the respective strata. The measure of size used was population figures for each EA taken from the 2022 Census of Population and Housing. During the survey, households were listed and stratified according to their scale of livestock, poultry or bee keeping activities. Listing of all households in the selected EAs was done to provide basic agricultural data. A sample of 20 households was drawn and detailed interview conducted. They were three explicit categories created at the second sampling stage in each EA namely A, B and C. For the purposes of the survey 5, 5 and 10 households were selected from A, B and C categories, respectively. In cases where they were shortfalls in category C, all households in this category were included and the difference from 20 was equally allocated to categories B and A. If the difference from 20 could not be equally allocated to the two categories, one (1) more was allocated to category B households than category A
Where there was no household in category C, 10 sample households were allocated to category B, and 10 to category A.
Where there was no household in category C and less than 10 in category B, all those in B were included in the sample and the allocation in category A was increased to make up for the shortfall from the required number of 20 sample households.
Where all households in an EA fell in category A, all the required 20 sample households were selected from this category.
The following criteria was used to stratify households into the three (3) explicit categories: A, B and C.
Category C:
1. Households reporting Bee keeping or special livestock (sheep). When only 1 or 2 households in the EA reported Bee keeping or specified special livestock (sheep).
2. Households raising 50 or more cattle, 20 or more pigs, 30 or more goats, and
3. Households raising 50 or more chickens.
Category B:
1. Households reporting Bee keeping or sheep. When 3 to 5 households in the SEA report Bee keeping or specified livestock.
2. Households raising 10 to 49 cattle, 10 to 19 pigs, 10 to 29 goats, and households raising any number of chickens but less than 50.
Category A:
All households not in Category C and Category B.
Households raising less than 10 cattle, less than 10 goats, less than 10 pigs, and less than 50 chickens. All such households belong to category A.
Deviations from the Sample Design
Non-Response Adjustment
For the 2023 Livestock survey, no substitution was allowed for non-responding households therefore adjustments needed to be made. The adjustment was equal to the livestock raising households (responding plus non-responding households) divided by the responding households.
For the 2023 Livestock survey, no substitution was allowed for non-responding households therefore adjustments needed to be made. The adjustment was equal to the livestock raising households (responding plus non-responding households) divided by the responding households.
Weighting
Due to the disproportionate allocation of the sample points to various strata, sampling weights were required to correct for differential representation of the sample at the national and sub-national levels. The weights of the sample were in this case equal to the inverse of the product of the two selection probabilities employed at each stage of sampling.
Data Collection
Dates of Data Collection
| Start | End |
|---|---|
| 2022-05-30 | 2023-04-30 |
Data Collection Mode
Face-to-face [f2f]
Supervision
The supervisor was responsible for day-to-day work plan of the enumerators assigned to him/her. Among other things he/she was responsible for:-
1. Finding The Selected Household: The supervisor was responsible for helping the enumerators find the selected households, using the maps and information established during the Listing stage.They were also responsible for correcting the maps where necessary. Also, help the interviewers to persuade reluctant households to participate. For those households that persist in refusing or those that were not tracable, it was also the supervisors responsibility to replace these households with others from the list of replacement households.
1. Finding The Selected Household: The supervisor was responsible for helping the enumerators find the selected households, using the maps and information established during the Listing stage.They were also responsible for correcting the maps where necessary. Also, help the interviewers to persuade reluctant households to participate. For those households that persist in refusing or those that were not tracable, it was also the supervisors responsibility to replace these households with others from the list of replacement households.
Data Collection Notes
The Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock collaborated with Zambia Statistics Agency in conducting the 2023 Livestock Survey. The 2023 Livestock Survey used sound methodology and internationally accepted fundamental principles for the production of official statistics. It was designed to provide livestock estimates at national and provincial levels. The survey collected information on livestock-raising household characteristics, livestock production, poultry production, animal reproduction and management, milk production and honey production.
Data Collectors
| Name | Abbreviation | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|
| Ministry of Fisheries & Livestock | MFL | GRZ |
| Zambia Statistics Agency | ZamStats | Ministry of Finance and National Planning |
Questionnaires
Questionnaires
The 2023 Livestock Survey was implemented using two complementary data collection instruments: the Livestock Survey Establishment Questionnaire and the Livestock Survey Household Questionnaire. Together, these instruments were designed to generate comprehensive and nationally representative data on livestock production systems in Zambia.
Livestock Survey Establishment Questionnaire
The 2023 Livestock Survey Establishment Questionnaire is designed to collect comprehensive and reliable data from livestock related establishments and institutions in Zambia to support evidence-based planning, policy formulation, and investment decisions in the livestock sub sector. The questionnaire targets establishments engaged in livestock, poultry, honey, and forage production during the reference period 1st May 2022 to 30th April 2023 and is administered separately for each establishment.
The questionnaire is structured into eight thematic sections.
-Section One captures identification and background information on the establishment, including ownership type, physical location, farm size, and contact details.
-Section Two establishes the scope of production activities undertaken by the establishment and serves as a screening module for livestock, poultry, honey, and forage production.
-Section Three collects detailed data on livestock production and sales, including stock levels at the beginning and end of the reference period, purchases, live sales, slaughter, herd structure, and breed composition across livestock species.
Further sections focus on production practices and outputs.
-Section Four captures livestock management practices, including supplementary feeding, access to extension services, tick control methods, and major production constraints.
-Section Five gathers monthly data on milk production and sales, enabling analysis of seasonality and commercialization levels.
-Section Six collects information on honey production and sales, including quantities harvested, marketed outputs, market channels, and production constraints.
-Section Seven documents forage production, including land area used, forage types grown, and utilization methods.
-Section Eight collects data on farm employment, disaggregated by employment status and sex, to support analysis of labour use in the livestock sector.
Overall, the Establishment Questionnaire provides critical data for measuring livestock productivity, market participation, employment generation, and management practices, thereby strengthening the national livestock statistics system and supporting improved assessment of sector performance.
Livestock Survey Household Questionnaire
The 2023 Livestock Survey Household Questionnaire is designed to collect comprehensive and reliable data on household level livestock production and related agricultural activities in Zambia during the reference period 1st May 2022 to 30th April 2023. The questionnaire provides essential information for assessing livestock ownership, production practices, animal health, and household livelihoods, thereby supporting evidence-based policy formulation, planning, and monitoring of the livestock sub-sector.
The questionnaire is structured into four main sections.
-Section One captures demographic characteristics of household members, including age, sex, education level, marital status, and participation in agricultural activities. This information supports analysis of household labour participation, gender roles, and human capital in livestock production.
-Section Two collects detailed data on livestock production and animal health, covering types of livestock raised, purposes of livestock keeping, stock levels, ownership by sex, sales and slaughter, disease occurrence, management practices, access to extension services, and major constraints affecting livestock production.
Additional production related activities are captured in subsequent sections.
-Section Three focuses on honey production, collecting information on quantities harvested, sales, market channels, and constraints faced by households engaged in apiculture.
-Section Four collects data on forage production, including types of forage grown, land area allocated, and methods of forage utilization for livestock feeding.
Overall, the Household Questionnaire provides essential data for understanding the structure, performance, and challenges of household based livestock production systems in Zambia and contributes to strengthening national livestock statistics for informed decision making.
Livestock Survey Establishment Questionnaire
The 2023 Livestock Survey Establishment Questionnaire is designed to collect comprehensive and reliable data from livestock related establishments and institutions in Zambia to support evidence-based planning, policy formulation, and investment decisions in the livestock sub sector. The questionnaire targets establishments engaged in livestock, poultry, honey, and forage production during the reference period 1st May 2022 to 30th April 2023 and is administered separately for each establishment.
The questionnaire is structured into eight thematic sections.
-Section One captures identification and background information on the establishment, including ownership type, physical location, farm size, and contact details.
-Section Two establishes the scope of production activities undertaken by the establishment and serves as a screening module for livestock, poultry, honey, and forage production.
-Section Three collects detailed data on livestock production and sales, including stock levels at the beginning and end of the reference period, purchases, live sales, slaughter, herd structure, and breed composition across livestock species.
Further sections focus on production practices and outputs.
-Section Four captures livestock management practices, including supplementary feeding, access to extension services, tick control methods, and major production constraints.
-Section Five gathers monthly data on milk production and sales, enabling analysis of seasonality and commercialization levels.
-Section Six collects information on honey production and sales, including quantities harvested, marketed outputs, market channels, and production constraints.
-Section Seven documents forage production, including land area used, forage types grown, and utilization methods.
-Section Eight collects data on farm employment, disaggregated by employment status and sex, to support analysis of labour use in the livestock sector.
Overall, the Establishment Questionnaire provides critical data for measuring livestock productivity, market participation, employment generation, and management practices, thereby strengthening the national livestock statistics system and supporting improved assessment of sector performance.
Livestock Survey Household Questionnaire
The 2023 Livestock Survey Household Questionnaire is designed to collect comprehensive and reliable data on household level livestock production and related agricultural activities in Zambia during the reference period 1st May 2022 to 30th April 2023. The questionnaire provides essential information for assessing livestock ownership, production practices, animal health, and household livelihoods, thereby supporting evidence-based policy formulation, planning, and monitoring of the livestock sub-sector.
The questionnaire is structured into four main sections.
-Section One captures demographic characteristics of household members, including age, sex, education level, marital status, and participation in agricultural activities. This information supports analysis of household labour participation, gender roles, and human capital in livestock production.
-Section Two collects detailed data on livestock production and animal health, covering types of livestock raised, purposes of livestock keeping, stock levels, ownership by sex, sales and slaughter, disease occurrence, management practices, access to extension services, and major constraints affecting livestock production.
Additional production related activities are captured in subsequent sections.
-Section Three focuses on honey production, collecting information on quantities harvested, sales, market channels, and constraints faced by households engaged in apiculture.
-Section Four collects data on forage production, including types of forage grown, land area allocated, and methods of forage utilization for livestock feeding.
Overall, the Household Questionnaire provides essential data for understanding the structure, performance, and challenges of household based livestock production systems in Zambia and contributes to strengthening national livestock statistics for informed decision making.
Access policy
Contacts
| Name | Affiliation | URL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Head of Dissemination | Zambia Statistics Agency | info@zamstats.gov.zm | Link |
Confidentiality
The Agency shall,where statistics are designated as official statistics, protect the confidentiality and identity of the source of data.
Under the provision of the Statistics ACT no.13 of 2018, ZamStats is obliged to preserve the confidentiality of respondent information in all its census and survey data
Before being granted access to the dataset, all users have to formally agree:
1. To make no copies of any files or portions of files to which s/he is granted access except those authorized by the Agency.
2. Not to use any technique in an attempt to learn the identity of any person, establishment, or sampling unit not identified on public use data files.
3. To hold in strictest confidence the identification of any establishment or individual that may be inadvertently revealed in any documents or discussion, or analysis. Such inadvertent identification revealed in her/his analysis will be immediately brought to the attention of the Agency
Access conditions
Access Conditions: Micro data records are anonymised as per procedures before these are made available to users.
Micro data files are all free but under access policy Conditions:
Each dataset has an access policy :Public use file- Accessible to all and - Licensed datasets, accessible under conditions. The dataset has been anonymized and is available as a Public Use Dataset. It is accessible to all for statistical and research purposes only, under the following terms and conditions:
1. The data and other materials will not be redistributed or sold to other individuals, institutions, or organizations without the written agreement of the Zambia Statistics Agency
2. The data will be used for statistical and scientific research purposes only. They will be used solely for reporting of aggregated information, and not for investigation of specific individuals or organizations.
3. No attempt will be made to re-identify respondents, and no use will be made of the identity of any person or establishment discovered inadvertently.
Micro data files are all free but under access policy Conditions:
Each dataset has an access policy :Public use file- Accessible to all and - Licensed datasets, accessible under conditions. The dataset has been anonymized and is available as a Public Use Dataset. It is accessible to all for statistical and research purposes only, under the following terms and conditions:
1. The data and other materials will not be redistributed or sold to other individuals, institutions, or organizations without the written agreement of the Zambia Statistics Agency
2. The data will be used for statistical and scientific research purposes only. They will be used solely for reporting of aggregated information, and not for investigation of specific individuals or organizations.
3. No attempt will be made to re-identify respondents, and no use will be made of the identity of any person or establishment discovered inadvertently.
Citation requirements
Zambia Statistics Agency (2023). Livestock Survey 2023, Lusaka, Zambia
Access authority
| Name | Affiliation | URL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zambia Statistics Agency | Ministry of Finanace and National Planning | info@zamstats.gov.zm | Link |
Disclaimer and copyrights
Disclaimer
ZamStats will not bear any responsibility for the erroneous use of its data by researchers. Users should report inconsistencies in the data (both micro and aggregated) to ZamStats as soon as possible.
The user of the data acknowledges that the original collector of the data, the authorized distributor of the data, and the relevant funding agency bear no responsibility for use of the data or for interpretations or inferences based upon such use
The user of the data acknowledges that the original collector of the data, the authorized distributor of the data, and the relevant funding agency bear no responsibility for use of the data or for interpretations or inferences based upon such use
Copyright
(c) 2023, Zambia Statistics Agency
Metadata production
DDI Document ID
DD1-ZMB-ZSA-LS-2023-V1.0
Producers
| Name | Abbreviation | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zambia Statistics Agency | ZamStats | Ministry of Finance and National Planning | Documentation of Study |
Date of Metadata Production
2026-01-16
DDI Document version
Version 1.0 (January 2026)