Carbon intensity vs. GDP per capita in Zambia
Zambia: Carbon intensity vs. GDP per capita was 236.27 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
236.27 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
Change on year
up 1.8%
World rank
61st
of 204 countries
All-time high
273.2 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
in 2022
All-time low
122.12 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour
in 2006
Years of data
45
1980–2024
Carbon intensity vs. GDP per capita in Zambia, 1980–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour.
Analysis
In 2024, carbon intensity vs. gdp per capita in Zambia stood at 236.27 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour.
That represents a change of up 1.8% on the previous year and up 23.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, carbon intensity vs. gdp per capita in Zambia peaked at 273.2 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2022 and was at its lowest, 122.12 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, in 2006.
That places Zambia 61st out of 204 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Carbon intensity vs. GDP per capita in Zambia, year by year
| Year | grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 171.09 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | — |
| 1981 | 178.06 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +4.1% |
| 1982 | 182.66 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.6% |
| 1983 | 173.19 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -5.2% |
| 1984 | 155.05 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -10.5% |
| 1985 | 155.6 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 161.8 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +4.0% |
| 1987 | 150.32 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -7.1% |
| 1988 | 164.95 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +9.7% |
| 1989 | 152.36 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -7.6% |
| 1990 | 140.66 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -7.7% |
| 1991 | 150.52 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +7.0% |
| 1992 | 142.98 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -5.0% |
| 1993 | 158.16 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +10.6% |
| 1994 | 155.3 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.8% |
| 1995 | 153.49 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.2% |
| 1996 | 131.6 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -14.3% |
| 1997 | 156.73 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +19.1% |
| 1998 | 150.91 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -3.7% |
| 1999 | 128.83 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -14.6% |
| 2000 | 129.37 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 128.72 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 126.11 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.0% |
| 2003 | 126.04 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 123.28 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -2.2% |
| 2005 | 124.49 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.0% |
| 2006 | 122.12 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -1.9% |
| 2007 | 138.95 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +13.8% |
| 2008 | 141.75 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 161.85 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +14.2% |
| 2010 | 165.25 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 155.74 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -5.8% |
| 2012 | 173.9 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +11.7% |
| 2013 | 176.63 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 191.44 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +8.4% |
| 2015 | 194.43 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 204.55 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +5.2% |
| 2017 | 218.37 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +6.8% |
| 2018 | 232.65 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +6.5% |
| 2019 | 243.5 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +4.7% |
| 2020 | 259.53 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +6.6% |
| 2021 | 226.43 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -12.8% |
| 2022 | 273.2 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +20.7% |
| 2023 | 232.18 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | -15.0% |
| 2024 | 236.27 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | +1.8% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 236.27 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 224.31 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, 1.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 236.27 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 227.53 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 164.51 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 150.32 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 182.66 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 1990s | 146.92 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 128.83 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 158.16 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2000s | 132.27 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 122.12 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 161.85 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2010s | 195.64 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 155.74 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 243.5 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 10 |
| 2020s | 245.52 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 226.43 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 273.2 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 58 Jamaica 236.65 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 59 Ecuador 236.65 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 60 Dominican Republic 236.61 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 62 Burundi 234.44 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 63 South Sudan 232.27 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour compare
- 64 Cyprus 231.52 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour 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 intensity vs. gdp per capita in Zambia?
- Carbon intensity vs. gdp per capita in Zambia was 236.27 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest carbon intensity vs. gdp per capita recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 273.2 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2022.
- What is the lowest carbon intensity vs. gdp per capita recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 122.12 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2006.
- How does Zambia rank for carbon intensity vs. gdp per capita?
- Zambia ranks 61st out of 204 countries with data for 2024.
- Is carbon intensity vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 23.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Carbon intensity vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Fossil carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions per unit of total energy supply, measured in grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour.