Map of Mbala, Zambia

Mbala is a city in Northern Province, Zambia, with a population of about 42,424. It lies at 8.8402°S, 31.3659°E. Mbala is about 803 km (499 mi) northeast of Lusaka, the capital. The nearest city on our map is Mpulungu, 29 km to the west.

Mbala at a glance

Where is Mbala?

• The 31st largest city in Zambia by recorded population.
• The 3rd largest city in Northern Province on this site.
• Located in the Southern and Eastern hemispheres.
• Daylight ranges from about 11 h 36 min on the shortest day to 12 h 38 min on the longest day (around 21 June and 21 December).

Cities near Mbala

• Mpulungu — 29 km west
• Sumbawanga — 101 km north, Tanzania
• Namanyere — 151 km north, Tanzania
• Kasama — 154 km south
• Nakonde — 161 km east
• Tunduma — 162 km east, Tanzania
• Vwawa — 175 km east, Tanzania
• Mlowo — 179 km east, Tanzania
• Kituku — 189 km northwest, Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Kaputa — 192 km west

Largest cities in Northern Province

• Kasama — 179,636
• Mpulungu — 55,405
• Kaputa — 35,663

Largest cities in Zambia

• Lusaka — 2,212,301
• Kitwe — 665,961
• Ndola — 627,503
• Chipata — 327,059
• Solwezi — 301,370
• Kabwe — 288,598
• Chingola — 256,560
• Luanshya — 193,293
• Kasama — 179,636
• Livingstone — 178,361

Map of Zambia and all its cities →

Sources: place names, coordinates, populations and time zones from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0, data retrieved October 2026). Population figures are the latest values recorded in GeoNames; depending on the country they refer to the city proper, a municipality or a wider urban area, so they can differ from census or metro-area figures. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.