Carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre in Zambia
Zambia: Carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre was 16.2 tonnes per square kilometre in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
16.2 tonnes per square kilometre
Change on year
up 1.8%
World rank
184th
of 204 countries
All-time high
16.2 tonnes per square kilometre
in 2024
All-time low
2.39 tonnes per square kilometre
in 1999
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre in Zambia, 1961–2024
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in tonnes per square kilometre.
Analysis
In 2024, carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre in Zambia stood at 16.2 tonnes per square kilometre. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.8% on the previous year and up 128.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre in Zambia peaked at 16.2 tonnes per square kilometre in 2024 and was at its lowest, 2.39 tonnes per square kilometre, in 1999.
That places Zambia 184th out of 204 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre in Zambia, year by year
| Year | tonnes per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 4.99 tonnes per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 4.82 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.4% |
| 1963 | 4.63 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.9% |
| 1964 | 4.41 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.9% |
| 1965 | 5.26 tonnes per square kilometre | +19.5% |
| 1966 | 4.71 tonnes per square kilometre | -10.6% |
| 1967 | 6.44 tonnes per square kilometre | +36.9% |
| 1968 | 6.14 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.6% |
| 1969 | 5.75 tonnes per square kilometre | -6.5% |
| 1970 | 5.07 tonnes per square kilometre | -11.8% |
| 1971 | 5.1 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1972 | 5.46 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.2% |
| 1973 | 6.17 tonnes per square kilometre | +12.9% |
| 1974 | 5.65 tonnes per square kilometre | -8.5% |
| 1975 | 5.48 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.9% |
| 1976 | 5.41 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.4% |
| 1977 | 5.02 tonnes per square kilometre | -7.1% |
| 1978 | 4.67 tonnes per square kilometre | -7.1% |
| 1979 | 4.84 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.6% |
| 1980 | 4.74 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.0% |
| 1981 | 4.52 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.7% |
| 1982 | 4.72 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.5% |
| 1983 | 4.39 tonnes per square kilometre | -7.1% |
| 1984 | 3.77 tonnes per square kilometre | -14.0% |
| 1985 | 3.68 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.6% |
| 1986 | 3.85 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.9% |
| 1987 | 3.6 tonnes per square kilometre | -6.7% |
| 1988 | 4.18 tonnes per square kilometre | +16.3% |
| 1989 | 3.46 tonnes per square kilometre | -17.3% |
| 1990 | 3.24 tonnes per square kilometre | -6.3% |
| 1991 | 3.2 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.1% |
| 1992 | 3.26 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1993 | 3.32 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1994 | 3.22 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.0% |
| 1995 | 2.88 tonnes per square kilometre | -10.5% |
| 1996 | 2.47 tonnes per square kilometre | -14.2% |
| 1997 | 3.17 tonnes per square kilometre | +28.1% |
| 1998 | 3.06 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.2% |
| 1999 | 2.39 tonnes per square kilometre | -22.0% |
| 2000 | 2.4 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 2.54 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.7% |
| 2002 | 2.64 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.0% |
| 2003 | 2.79 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.8% |
| 2004 | 2.83 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 3.02 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.6% |
| 2006 | 3 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 3.09 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 2008 | 3.43 tonnes per square kilometre | +11.1% |
| 2009 | 3.95 tonnes per square kilometre | +15.2% |
| 2010 | 4.2 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.2% |
| 2011 | 4.55 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.3% |
| 2012 | 5.62 tonnes per square kilometre | +23.6% |
| 2013 | 5.95 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.0% |
| 2014 | 7.11 tonnes per square kilometre | +19.4% |
| 2015 | 7.43 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.5% |
| 2016 | 8.04 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.2% |
| 2017 | 10.03 tonnes per square kilometre | +24.8% |
| 2018 | 11.65 tonnes per square kilometre | +16.1% |
| 2019 | 11.9 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 13.44 tonnes per square kilometre | +12.9% |
| 2021 | 12.58 tonnes per square kilometre | -6.4% |
| 2022 | 14.71 tonnes per square kilometre | +17.0% |
| 2023 | 15.91 tonnes per square kilometre | +8.2% |
| 2024 | 16.2 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.8% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 16.2 tonnes per square kilometre is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 61.37 tonnes per square kilometre, 26% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 16.2 tonnes per square kilometre is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 21.8 tonnes per square kilometre, 74% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.24 tonnes per square kilometre | 4.41 tonnes per square kilometre | 6.44 tonnes per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 5.29 tonnes per square kilometre | 4.67 tonnes per square kilometre | 6.17 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.09 tonnes per square kilometre | 3.46 tonnes per square kilometre | 4.74 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.02 tonnes per square kilometre | 2.39 tonnes per square kilometre | 3.32 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.97 tonnes per square kilometre | 2.4 tonnes per square kilometre | 3.95 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.65 tonnes per square kilometre | 4.2 tonnes per square kilometre | 11.9 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.57 tonnes per square kilometre | 12.58 tonnes per square kilometre | 16.2 tonnes per square kilometre | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 181 Angola 17.91 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 182 Afghanistan 16.6 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 183 Guinea 16.39 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 185 Vanuatu 16.17 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 186 Ethiopia 15.9 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 187 Botswana 13.17 tonnes per square kilometre compare
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 carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre in Zambia?
- Carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre in Zambia was 16.2 tonnes per square kilometre in 2024, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 16.2 tonnes per square kilometre in 2024.
- What is the lowest carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.39 tonnes per square kilometre in 1999.
- How does Zambia rank for carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre?
- Zambia ranks 184th out of 204 countries with data for 2024.
- Is carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 128.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Carbon dioxide emissions by income level, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Carbon dioxide emissions by income level divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Carbon dioxide emissions by income level ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Carbon dioxide emissions by income level Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Carbon dioxide emissions by income level divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.