Annual precipitation in Zambia
Zambia: Annual precipitation was 1,120 millimeters in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
1,120 millimeters
Change on year
up 40.8%
World rank
78th
of 192 countries
All-time high
1,721 millimeters
in 1957
All-time low
670.46 millimeters
in 1954
Years of data
86
1940–2025
Annual precipitation in Zambia, 1940–2025
Source: Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in millimeters.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 1,120 millimeters for annual precipitation in 2025.
The figure is up 40.8% on the previous year and up 8.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual precipitation in Zambia peaked at 1,721 millimeters in 1957 and was at its lowest, 670.46 millimeters, in 1954.
Zambia ranks 78th of 192 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 86 years of available data.
Annual precipitation in Zambia, year by year
| Year | millimeters | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | 1,251 millimeters | — |
| 1941 | 996.53 millimeters | -20.4% |
| 1942 | 1,035 millimeters | +3.9% |
| 1943 | 965.87 millimeters | -6.7% |
| 1944 | 1,110 millimeters | +15.0% |
| 1945 | 1,132 millimeters | +2.0% |
| 1946 | 1,225 millimeters | +8.2% |
| 1947 | 1,276 millimeters | +4.1% |
| 1948 | 1,436 millimeters | +12.6% |
| 1949 | 1,131 millimeters | -21.2% |
| 1950 | 1,214 millimeters | +7.3% |
| 1951 | 1,006 millimeters | -17.1% |
| 1952 | 1,220 millimeters | +21.3% |
| 1953 | 1,612 millimeters | +32.1% |
| 1954 | 670.46 millimeters | -58.4% |
| 1955 | 1,445 millimeters | +115.5% |
| 1956 | 1,340 millimeters | -7.3% |
| 1957 | 1,721 millimeters | +28.4% |
| 1958 | 1,636 millimeters | -4.9% |
| 1959 | 1,299 millimeters | -20.6% |
| 1960 | 1,024 millimeters | -21.2% |
| 1961 | 1,416 millimeters | +38.3% |
| 1962 | 1,323 millimeters | -6.5% |
| 1963 | 1,286 millimeters | -2.8% |
| 1964 | 1,029 millimeters | -20.0% |
| 1965 | 919.57 millimeters | -10.6% |
| 1966 | 1,025 millimeters | +11.5% |
| 1967 | 1,042 millimeters | +1.7% |
| 1968 | 1,043 millimeters | +0.1% |
| 1969 | 1,389 millimeters | +33.1% |
| 1970 | 1,070 millimeters | -22.9% |
| 1971 | 1,126 millimeters | +5.2% |
| 1972 | 1,123 millimeters | -0.3% |
| 1973 | 997.53 millimeters | -11.2% |
| 1974 | 1,270 millimeters | +27.3% |
| 1975 | 1,024 millimeters | -19.4% |
| 1976 | 1,268 millimeters | +23.8% |
| 1977 | 1,228 millimeters | -3.2% |
| 1978 | 1,553 millimeters | +26.5% |
| 1979 | 1,191 millimeters | -23.4% |
| 1980 | 1,038 millimeters | -12.8% |
| 1981 | 1,051 millimeters | +1.2% |
| 1982 | 1,132 millimeters | +7.7% |
| 1983 | 1,050 millimeters | -7.2% |
| 1984 | 1,084 millimeters | +3.2% |
| 1985 | 1,153 millimeters | +6.3% |
| 1986 | 1,242 millimeters | +7.8% |
| 1987 | 941.93 millimeters | -24.2% |
| 1988 | 1,044 millimeters | +10.9% |
| 1989 | 1,225 millimeters | +17.3% |
| 1990 | 1,001 millimeters | -18.3% |
| 1991 | 1,057 millimeters | +5.6% |
| 1992 | 878.52 millimeters | -16.9% |
| 1993 | 1,185 millimeters | +34.9% |
| 1994 | 949.24 millimeters | -19.9% |
| 1995 | 898.8 millimeters | -5.3% |
| 1996 | 1,016 millimeters | +13.1% |
| 1997 | 1,160 millimeters | +14.1% |
| 1998 | 1,062 millimeters | -8.4% |
| 1999 | 1,016 millimeters | -4.4% |
| 2000 | 1,192 millimeters | +17.4% |
| 2001 | 1,152 millimeters | -3.4% |
| 2002 | 977.09 millimeters | -15.2% |
| 2003 | 1,029 millimeters | +5.4% |
| 2004 | 1,129 millimeters | +9.6% |
| 2005 | 852.69 millimeters | -24.4% |
| 2006 | 1,119 millimeters | +31.2% |
| 2007 | 1,170 millimeters | +4.5% |
| 2008 | 1,176 millimeters | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 1,149 millimeters | -2.2% |
| 2010 | 1,202 millimeters | +4.6% |
| 2011 | 1,123 millimeters | -6.6% |
| 2012 | 1,129 millimeters | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 1,092 millimeters | -3.3% |
| 2014 | 1,065 millimeters | -2.4% |
| 2015 | 1,029 millimeters | -3.4% |
| 2016 | 1,107 millimeters | +7.6% |
| 2017 | 1,262 millimeters | +13.9% |
| 2018 | 1,120 millimeters | -11.2% |
| 2019 | 1,009 millimeters | -9.9% |
| 2020 | 1,275 millimeters | +26.3% |
| 2021 | 1,050 millimeters | -17.6% |
| 2022 | 1,299 millimeters | +23.7% |
| 2023 | 1,119 millimeters | -13.9% |
| 2024 | 795.21 millimeters | -28.9% |
| 2025 | 1,120 millimeters | +40.8% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 1,120 millimeters is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1,013 millimeters, 1.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 1,120 millimeters is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 970.56 millimeters, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual precipitation in Zambia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | +115.5% | 670.46 millimeters | 1,445 millimeters |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 1,156 millimeters | 965.87 millimeters | 1,436 millimeters | 10 |
| 1950s | 1,316 millimeters | 670.46 millimeters | 1,721 millimeters | 10 |
| 1960s | 1,150 millimeters | 919.57 millimeters | 1,416 millimeters | 10 |
| 1970s | 1,185 millimeters | 997.53 millimeters | 1,553 millimeters | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,096 millimeters | 941.93 millimeters | 1,242 millimeters | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,022 millimeters | 878.52 millimeters | 1,185 millimeters | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,095 millimeters | 852.69 millimeters | 1,192 millimeters | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,114 millimeters | 1,009 millimeters | 1,262 millimeters | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,110 millimeters | 795.21 millimeters | 1,299 millimeters | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More climate change data for Zambia
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 303.19 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 7,547 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 2,795 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 4,752 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 10.55 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 169.71 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 2,153 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 2,033 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 120.21 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 7.67 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual precipitation in Zambia?
- Annual precipitation in Zambia was 1,120 millimeters in 2025, according to Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual precipitation recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 1,721 millimeters in 1957.
- What is the lowest annual precipitation recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 670.46 millimeters in 1954.
- How does Zambia rank for annual precipitation?
- Zambia ranks 78th out of 192 countries with data for 2025.
- Is annual precipitation rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual precipitation. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 86 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Total annual precipitation—rain and snow—calculated as the sum of daily averages, reported as the depth of water falling to Earth's surface, excluding fog and dew.