CO₂ emissions from transport in Zambia
Zambia: CO₂ emissions from transport was 2.64 million tonnes in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
2.64 million tonnes
Change on year
up 6.0%
World rank
114th
of 191 countries
All-time high
2.64 million tonnes
in 2023
All-time low
630,000 tonnes
in 1996
Years of data
34
1990–2023
CO₂ emissions from transport in Zambia, 1990–2023
Source: Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2023, co₂ emissions from transport in Zambia stood at 2.64 million tonnes. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
That represents a change of up 6.0% on the previous year and up 59.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, co₂ emissions from transport in Zambia peaked at 2.64 million tonnes in 2023 and was at its lowest, 630,000 tonnes, in 1996.
That places Zambia 114th out of 191 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
CO₂ emissions from transport in Zambia, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 770,000 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 970,000 tonnes | +26.0% |
| 1992 | 930,000 tonnes | -4.1% |
| 1993 | 660,000 tonnes | -29.0% |
| 1994 | 810,000 tonnes | +22.7% |
| 1995 | 810,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 630,000 tonnes | -22.2% |
| 1997 | 730,000 tonnes | +15.9% |
| 1998 | 700,000 tonnes | -4.1% |
| 1999 | 670,000 tonnes | -4.3% |
| 2000 | 730,000 tonnes | +9.0% |
| 2001 | 770,000 tonnes | +5.5% |
| 2002 | 810,000 tonnes | +5.2% |
| 2003 | 860,000 tonnes | +6.2% |
| 2004 | 920,000 tonnes | +7.0% |
| 2005 | 990,000 tonnes | +7.6% |
| 2006 | 1.02 million tonnes | +3.0% |
| 2007 | 900,000 tonnes | -11.8% |
| 2008 | 980,000 tonnes | +8.9% |
| 2009 | 1.15 million tonnes | +17.3% |
| 2010 | 1.23 million tonnes | +7.0% |
| 2011 | 1.34 million tonnes | +8.9% |
| 2012 | 1.61 million tonnes | +20.1% |
| 2013 | 1.66 million tonnes | +3.1% |
| 2014 | 1.88 million tonnes | +13.3% |
| 2015 | 2.10 million tonnes | +11.7% |
| 2016 | 2.08 million tonnes | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 1.87 million tonnes | -10.1% |
| 2018 | 1.84 million tonnes | -1.6% |
| 2019 | 1.84 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 1.90 million tonnes | +3.3% |
| 2021 | 2.52 million tonnes | +32.6% |
| 2022 | 2.49 million tonnes | -1.2% |
| 2023 | 2.64 million tonnes | +6.0% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 2.64 million tonnes is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.18 million tonnes, 83% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 2.64 million tonnes is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.82 million tonnes, 1.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 768,000 tonnes | 630,000 tonnes | 970,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 913,000 tonnes | 730,000 tonnes | 1.15 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.75 million tonnes | 1.23 million tonnes | 2.10 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.39 million tonnes | 1.90 million tonnes | 2.64 million tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 111 Democratic Republic of Congo 3.30 million tonnes compare
- 112 Latvia 3.06 million tonnes compare
- 113 Jamaica 2.73 million tonnes compare
- 114 Laos 2.64 million tonnes compare
- 116 Trinidad and Tobago 2.52 million tonnes compare
- 117 Guinea 2.50 million tonnes compare
- 117 Zimbabwe 2.50 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 from transport in Zambia?
- Co₂ emissions from transport in Zambia was 2.64 million tonnes in 2023, according to Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest co₂ emissions from transport recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 2.64 million tonnes in 2023.
- What is the lowest co₂ emissions from transport recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 630,000 tonnes in 1996.
- How does Zambia rank for co₂ emissions from transport?
- Zambia ranks 114th out of 191 countries with data for 2023.
- Is co₂ emissions from transport rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 59.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 from transport. 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.