CO₂ emissions by sector in Zambia
Zambia: CO₂ emissions by sector was 70,000 tonnes in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
70,000 tonnes
Change on year
up 40.0%
World rank
153rd
of 187 countries
All-time high
220,000 tonnes
in 1990
All-time low
30,000 tonnes
in 2021
Years of data
34
1990–2023
CO₂ emissions by sector in Zambia, 1990–2023
Source: Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 70,000 tonnes for co₂ emissions by sector in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 40.0% on the previous year and down 50.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, co₂ emissions by sector in Zambia peaked at 220,000 tonnes in 1990 and was at its lowest, 30,000 tonnes, in 2021.
Zambia ranks 153rd of 187 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
CO₂ emissions by sector in Zambia, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 220,000 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 200,000 tonnes | -9.1% |
| 1992 | 190,000 tonnes | -5.0% |
| 1993 | 170,000 tonnes | -10.5% |
| 1994 | 150,000 tonnes | -11.8% |
| 1995 | 160,000 tonnes | +6.7% |
| 1996 | 110,000 tonnes | -31.2% |
| 1997 | 190,000 tonnes | +72.7% |
| 1998 | 170,000 tonnes | -10.5% |
| 1999 | 129,999 tonnes | -23.5% |
| 2000 | 129,999 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 129,999 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 140,000 tonnes | +7.7% |
| 2003 | 150,000 tonnes | +7.1% |
| 2004 | 160,000 tonnes | +6.7% |
| 2005 | 160,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 70,000 tonnes | -56.2% |
| 2007 | 50,000 tonnes | -28.6% |
| 2008 | 70,000 tonnes | +40.0% |
| 2009 | 70,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 80,000 tonnes | +14.3% |
| 2011 | 90,000 tonnes | +12.5% |
| 2012 | 100,000 tonnes | +11.1% |
| 2013 | 140,000 tonnes | +40.0% |
| 2014 | 100,000 tonnes | -28.6% |
| 2015 | 90,000 tonnes | -10.0% |
| 2016 | 80,000 tonnes | -11.1% |
| 2017 | 90,000 tonnes | +12.5% |
| 2018 | 120,000 tonnes | +33.3% |
| 2019 | 60,000 tonnes | -50.0% |
| 2020 | 70,000 tonnes | +16.7% |
| 2021 | 30,000 tonnes | -57.1% |
| 2022 | 50,000 tonnes | +66.7% |
| 2023 | 70,000 tonnes | +40.0% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 70,000 tonnes is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 630,000 tonnes, 11% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 70,000 tonnes is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 170,000 tonnes, 41% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 169,000 tonnes | 110,000 tonnes | 220,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 113,000 tonnes | 50,000 tonnes | 160,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 95,000 tonnes | 60,000 tonnes | 140,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 55,000 tonnes | 30,000 tonnes | 70,000 tonnes | 4 |
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 co₂ emissions by sector in Zambia?
- Co₂ emissions by sector in Zambia was 70,000 tonnes in 2023, according to Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest co₂ emissions by sector recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 220,000 tonnes in 1990.
- What is the lowest co₂ emissions by sector recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 30,000 tonnes in 2021.
- How does Zambia rank for co₂ emissions by sector?
- Zambia ranks 153rd out of 187 countries with data for 2023.
- Is co₂ emissions by sector rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 50.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of CO₂ emissions by sector. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Emissions are measured in tonnes.