Zambia Civil Registration

Historical Background

 * 1898 - European, Aliens and Coloured births and deaths registration Act of 12 June, 1898
 * 1908 - Records begin
 * 1973 - Births and Deaths Registration Act (all births, still births and deaths to be registered beginning March 1973
 * 2016 - Computer registration/standardization of records

Compliance
Not all events were recorded. Civil registration was supposed to be mandatory but in practice was voluntary. There were no penalties for not registering. Before March 2016 about 4% of deaths were registered. In 1994 overall registration was estimated to have been about 80%.

Births
Birth certificate forms included these fields in 1994:


 * Number of entry in register
 * Date of birth
 * Details of child: name, race, sex
 * Place of birth: Town (where applicable, district, province
 * Details of mother: age, number of children previously born alive (still living, now dead)
 * Mother's usual place of residence: town (where applicable, district, province
 * Circumstances of birth: In hospital/clinic/rural health centre; At home attended by trained medical personnel; At home not attended by trained medical personnel; Other

Marriages
Marriage certificate forms included these fields in 1994:
 * Number of entry in register
 * Date of registration
 * Date of marriage
 * Husband's name; race; age; whether first marriage (yes/no); occupation
 * Wife's name; race; age; whether first marriage (yes/no); occupation
 * Place of marriage: province; district; town; registrar; church

Deaths
Death certificate forms included these fields in 1994:
 * Number of entry in register
 * Date of registration
 * Date of death
 * Details of decendent: African/European/Asian/Coloured or Mixed; sex; year; month; day; single/married/widowed/divorced; occupation
 * Place of death: province; district; town
 * Circumstances of death: Hospital/Clinic/Rural Health Centre; Home attended; Home not attended; Other
 * Causes of death: direct; antecendent; other significant conditions; statistical classification
 * Usual place of residence

How to Find the Records
Ministry of Home Affairs Lusaka, Zambia Tel. +260 211254336 (Tel/Fax): +260 211254336