Year-on-year change in CO₂ emissions in Zambia
Zambia: Year-on-year change in CO₂ emissions was 212,572 tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Year-on-year change in CO₂ emissions in Zambia, 1951–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
The most recent figure for year-on-year change in co₂ emissions in Zambia is 212,572 tonnes, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 76.2% on the previous year and down 75.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, year-on-year change in co₂ emissions in Zambia peaked at 1.59 million tonnes in 2022 and was at its lowest, -646,286 tonnes, in 1961.
That places Zambia 71st out of 215 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 248,624 tonnes | -489,144 tonnes | 621,108 tonnes | 9 |
| 1960s | -29,692 tonnes | -646,286 tonnes | 1.29 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1970s | -67,442 tonnes | -505,008 tonnes | 524,250 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | -102,646 tonnes | -539,017 tonnes | 435,260 tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | -79,240 tonnes | -500,854 tonnes | 516,107 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 116,228 tonnes | -11,425 tonnes | 386,856 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 590,645 tonnes | 180,960 tonnes | 1.48 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 639,392 tonnes | -640,740 tonnes | 1.59 million tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 68 New Caledonia 218,632 tonnes compare
- 69 Bahrain 216,764 tonnes compare
- 70 Botswana 212,922 tonnes compare
- 72 Nicaragua 202,047 tonnes compare
- 73 Mauritania 201,781 tonnes compare
- 74 Burkina Faso 199,222 tonnes compare
More climate change data for Zambia
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 0.6% (2100)
- Population growth 2.8% (2025)
- Population, total 21.91 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 3.7% (2025)
- Urban population 10.06 million (2025)
- Urban population 45.9% (2025)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 0.565 tonnes per person (2024)
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions 300.84 million tonnes (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita 0.565 tonnes per person (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 0.565 tonnes per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is year-on-year change in co₂ emissions in Zambia?
- Year-on-year change in co₂ emissions in Zambia was 212,572 tonnes in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest year-on-year change in co₂ emissions recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 1.59 million tonnes in 2022.
- What is the lowest year-on-year change in co₂ emissions recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was -646,286 tonnes in 1961.
- How does Zambia rank for year-on-year change in co₂ emissions?
- Zambia ranks 71st out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is year-on-year change in co₂ emissions rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 75.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Year-on-year change in CO₂ emissions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual growth in total emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), excluding land-use change, measured in tonnes.