CO₂ emissions by fuel or industry in Zambia
Zambia: CO₂ emissions by fuel or industry was 5.16 million tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
5.16 million tonnes
Change on year
up 1.8%
World rank
115th
of 215 countries
All-time high
5.16 million tonnes
in 2024
All-time low
95,425 tonnes
in 1950
Years of data
75
1950–2024
CO₂ emissions by fuel or industry in Zambia, 1950–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 5.16 million tonnes for co₂ emissions by fuel or industry in 2024. That is the highest value across all 75 years on record.
The figure is up 1.8% on the previous year and up 41.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, co₂ emissions by fuel or industry in Zambia peaked at 5.16 million tonnes in 2024 and was at its lowest, 95,425 tonnes, in 1950.
Zambia ranks 115th of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
CO₂ emissions by fuel or industry in Zambia, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 95,425 tonnes | — |
| 1951 | 148,568 tonnes | +55.7% |
| 1952 | 169,847 tonnes | +14.3% |
| 1953 | 194,256 tonnes | +14.4% |
| 1954 | 215,555 tonnes | +11.0% |
| 1955 | 244,445 tonnes | +13.4% |
| 1956 | 309,412 tonnes | +26.6% |
| 1957 | 318,429 tonnes | +2.9% |
| 1958 | 365,384 tonnes | +14.7% |
| 1959 | 352,269 tonnes | -3.6% |
| 1960 | 364,882 tonnes | +3.6% |
| 1961 | 378,499 tonnes | +3.7% |
| 1962 | 403,418 tonnes | +6.6% |
| 1963 | 409,863 tonnes | +1.6% |
| 1964 | 447,008 tonnes | +9.1% |
| 1965 | 582,576 tonnes | +30.3% |
| 1966 | 553,264 tonnes | -5.0% |
| 1967 | 962,895 tonnes | +74.0% |
| 1968 | 1.08 million tonnes | +11.8% |
| 1969 | 1.22 million tonnes | +13.4% |
| 1970 | 1.24 million tonnes | +1.8% |
| 1971 | 1.38 million tonnes | +11.5% |
| 1972 | 1.48 million tonnes | +7.1% |
| 1973 | 2.13 million tonnes | +43.8% |
| 1974 | 1.99 million tonnes | -6.6% |
| 1975 | 2.00 million tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1976 | 2.04 million tonnes | +2.0% |
| 1977 | 1.95 million tonnes | -4.1% |
| 1978 | 2.01 million tonnes | +2.8% |
| 1979 | 2.16 million tonnes | +7.6% |
| 1980 | 2.10 million tonnes | -3.0% |
| 1981 | 2.16 million tonnes | +3.0% |
| 1982 | 2.09 million tonnes | -3.2% |
| 1983 | 2.18 million tonnes | +4.4% |
| 1984 | 1.57 million tonnes | -28.1% |
| 1985 | 1.49 million tonnes | -5.1% |
| 1986 | 1.50 million tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1987 | 1.49 million tonnes | -0.6% |
| 1988 | 1.56 million tonnes | +4.4% |
| 1989 | 1.54 million tonnes | -1.3% |
| 1990 | 1.40 million tonnes | -9.1% |
| 1991 | 1.39 million tonnes | -0.3% |
| 1992 | 1.41 million tonnes | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 1.44 million tonnes | +2.1% |
| 1994 | 1.44 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 1.69 million tonnes | +17.0% |
| 1996 | 1.28 million tonnes | -24.3% |
| 1997 | 1.71 million tonnes | +34.4% |
| 1998 | 1.67 million tonnes | -2.3% |
| 1999 | 1.38 million tonnes | -17.7% |
| 2000 | 1.34 million tonnes | -2.7% |
| 2001 | 1.50 million tonnes | +11.7% |
| 2002 | 1.56 million tonnes | +4.4% |
| 2003 | 1.61 million tonnes | +3.0% |
| 2004 | 1.71 million tonnes | +6.1% |
| 2005 | 1.76 million tonnes | +2.6% |
| 2006 | 1.88 million tonnes | +7.3% |
| 2007 | 1.80 million tonnes | -4.7% |
| 2008 | 2.02 million tonnes | +12.7% |
| 2009 | 2.20 million tonnes | +8.6% |
| 2010 | 2.30 million tonnes | +4.8% |
| 2011 | 2.65 million tonnes | +15.1% |
| 2012 | 3.21 million tonnes | +21.0% |
| 2013 | 3.26 million tonnes | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 3.66 million tonnes | +12.3% |
| 2015 | 3.88 million tonnes | +6.0% |
| 2016 | 4.24 million tonnes | +9.3% |
| 2017 | 4.09 million tonnes | -3.5% |
| 2018 | 3.61 million tonnes | -11.7% |
| 2019 | 4.44 million tonnes | +23.1% |
| 2020 | 4.48 million tonnes | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 4.78 million tonnes | +6.6% |
| 2022 | 4.98 million tonnes | +4.1% |
| 2023 | 5.07 million tonnes | +2.0% |
| 2024 | 5.16 million tonnes | +1.8% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 5.16 million tonnes is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.44 million tonnes, 95% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 5.16 million tonnes is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.02 million tonnes, 1.7× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where CO₂ emissions by fuel or industry 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | +74.0% | 553,264 tonnes | 962,895 tonnes |
| 1951 | +55.7% | 95,425 tonnes | 148,568 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 241,359 tonnes | 95,425 tonnes | 365,384 tonnes | 10 |
| 1960s | 639,886 tonnes | 364,882 tonnes | 1.22 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.84 million tonnes | 1.24 million tonnes | 2.16 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.77 million tonnes | 1.49 million tonnes | 2.18 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.48 million tonnes | 1.28 million tonnes | 1.71 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.74 million tonnes | 1.34 million tonnes | 2.20 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.53 million tonnes | 2.30 million tonnes | 4.44 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.90 million tonnes | 4.48 million tonnes | 5.16 million tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 112 Mongolia 5.36 million tonnes compare
- 113 Burkina Faso 5.31 million tonnes compare
- 114 Mauritania 5.23 million tonnes compare
- 116 Benin 4.94 million tonnes compare
- 117 Zimbabwe 4.85 million tonnes compare
- 118 Democratic Republic of Congo 4.84 million tonnes 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 co₂ emissions by fuel or industry in Zambia?
- Co₂ emissions by fuel or industry in Zambia was 5.16 million tonnes in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest co₂ emissions by fuel or industry recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 5.16 million tonnes in 2024.
- What is the lowest co₂ emissions by fuel or industry recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 95,425 tonnes in 1950.
- How does Zambia rank for co₂ emissions by fuel or industry?
- Zambia ranks 115th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is co₂ emissions by fuel or industry rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 41.2%. 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 CO₂ emissions by fuel or industry. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 75 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from oil, measured in tonnes.