This study, funded by the German government and in partnership with an international research institute and Zambia’s government department responsible for fish farming, gathered quantitative and qualitative data to provide a holistic view of smallholder fish farmers’ livelihoods. A total of 151 fish farming households were surveyed, with 46 additional qualitative interviews. Findings were shared with Zambian stakeholders in Lusaka (Oct 2018) and presented in Berlin and Eschborn (Nov 2018). Key findings include: a severe lack of reliable data hampers engagement with the sector; farmers fall between ‘semi-subsistence’ and ‘small-scale commercial’, with additional variation by wealth, location, gender, and age; most farmers use aquaculture to diversify livelihoods, with two-thirds producing under 0.1 tonnes annually; wealthier farmers often have higher yields but still face production barriers. Few farmers are primarily fish farmers, and most pursue other income strategies. Female and young farmers are underrepresented, often with lower assets and yields. Women, even when leading fish farming activities, rely on male or external labour. Youths show little interest due to low income potential. Despite growing access to commercial inputs, accessibility remains limited. Most farmers aim for income, yet fish is also consumed at home. Small profit margins, input constraints, and capital demands affect viability. Regional differences show poorer northern farmers using extensive systems, while wealthier southern farmers operate more intensively due to environmental and market factors. A livelihood perspective is recommended, profiling farmers by socioeconomic and geographic characteristics, and tailoring interventions at production, household, value chain, or social norm levels to include especially poor, women, and youth farmers.