CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in Zambia
Zambia: CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change was 74.63 million tonnes in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
74.63 million tonnes
Change on year
down 1.8%
World rank
53rd
of 194 countries
All-time high
142.13 million tonnes
in 2008
All-time low
22.40 million tonnes
in 1978
Years of data
75
1950–2024
CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in Zambia, 1950–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2024, co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in Zambia stood at 74.63 million tonnes.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.8% on the previous year and down 17.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in Zambia peaked at 142.13 million tonnes in 2008 and was at its lowest, 22.40 million tonnes, in 1978.
Zambia ranks 53rd of 194 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 75 years of available data.
CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in Zambia, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 52.04 million tonnes | — |
| 1951 | 52.60 million tonnes | +1.1% |
| 1952 | 56.31 million tonnes | +7.0% |
| 1953 | 58.69 million tonnes | +4.2% |
| 1954 | 60.23 million tonnes | +2.6% |
| 1955 | 64.45 million tonnes | +7.0% |
| 1956 | 68.28 million tonnes | +5.9% |
| 1957 | 72.29 million tonnes | +5.9% |
| 1958 | 74.98 million tonnes | +3.7% |
| 1959 | 80.35 million tonnes | +7.2% |
| 1960 | 82.63 million tonnes | +2.8% |
| 1961 | 67.95 million tonnes | -17.8% |
| 1962 | 58.05 million tonnes | -14.6% |
| 1963 | 54.41 million tonnes | -6.3% |
| 1964 | 51.02 million tonnes | -6.2% |
| 1965 | 54.38 million tonnes | +6.6% |
| 1966 | 55.30 million tonnes | +1.7% |
| 1967 | 53.75 million tonnes | -2.8% |
| 1968 | 54.92 million tonnes | +2.2% |
| 1969 | 55.19 million tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1970 | 67.95 million tonnes | +23.1% |
| 1971 | 70.14 million tonnes | +3.2% |
| 1972 | 58.07 million tonnes | -17.2% |
| 1973 | 58.63 million tonnes | +1.0% |
| 1974 | 53.54 million tonnes | -8.7% |
| 1975 | 48.56 million tonnes | -9.3% |
| 1976 | 44.97 million tonnes | -7.4% |
| 1977 | 37.63 million tonnes | -16.3% |
| 1978 | 22.40 million tonnes | -40.5% |
| 1979 | 27.43 million tonnes | +22.5% |
| 1980 | 34.21 million tonnes | +24.7% |
| 1981 | 36.60 million tonnes | +7.0% |
| 1982 | 41.44 million tonnes | +13.2% |
| 1983 | 43.31 million tonnes | +4.5% |
| 1984 | 46.25 million tonnes | +6.8% |
| 1985 | 48.45 million tonnes | +4.8% |
| 1986 | 50.85 million tonnes | +4.9% |
| 1987 | 49.27 million tonnes | -3.1% |
| 1988 | 56.56 million tonnes | +14.8% |
| 1989 | 50.11 million tonnes | -11.4% |
| 1990 | 41.99 million tonnes | -16.2% |
| 1991 | 52.71 million tonnes | +25.5% |
| 1992 | 55.54 million tonnes | +5.4% |
| 1993 | 62.50 million tonnes | +12.5% |
| 1994 | 64.58 million tonnes | +3.3% |
| 1995 | 61.82 million tonnes | -4.3% |
| 1996 | 54.68 million tonnes | -11.6% |
| 1997 | 61.39 million tonnes | +12.3% |
| 1998 | 58.35 million tonnes | -5.0% |
| 1999 | 52.93 million tonnes | -9.3% |
| 2000 | 49.81 million tonnes | -5.9% |
| 2001 | 63.59 million tonnes | +27.7% |
| 2002 | 88.27 million tonnes | +38.8% |
| 2003 | 75.94 million tonnes | -14.0% |
| 2004 | 72.21 million tonnes | -4.9% |
| 2005 | 96.90 million tonnes | +34.2% |
| 2006 | 83.67 million tonnes | -13.7% |
| 2007 | 103.53 million tonnes | +23.7% |
| 2008 | 142.13 million tonnes | +37.3% |
| 2009 | 116.59 million tonnes | -18.0% |
| 2010 | 126.10 million tonnes | +8.2% |
| 2011 | 131.57 million tonnes | +4.3% |
| 2012 | 109.12 million tonnes | -17.1% |
| 2013 | 96.31 million tonnes | -11.7% |
| 2014 | 90.44 million tonnes | -6.1% |
| 2015 | 86.69 million tonnes | -4.1% |
| 2016 | 92.85 million tonnes | +7.1% |
| 2017 | 94.09 million tonnes | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 87.79 million tonnes | -6.7% |
| 2019 | 82.02 million tonnes | -6.6% |
| 2020 | 78.31 million tonnes | -4.5% |
| 2021 | 75.68 million tonnes | -3.4% |
| 2022 | 76.39 million tonnes | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 76.00 million tonnes | -0.5% |
| 2024 | 74.63 million tonnes | -1.8% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 74.63 million tonnes is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 26.17 million tonnes, 2.9× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 74.63 million tonnes is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14.74 million tonnes, 5.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 64.02 million tonnes | 52.04 million tonnes | 80.35 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1960s | 58.76 million tonnes | 51.02 million tonnes | 82.63 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1970s | 48.93 million tonnes | 22.40 million tonnes | 70.14 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 45.71 million tonnes | 34.21 million tonnes | 56.56 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 56.65 million tonnes | 41.99 million tonnes | 64.58 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 89.27 million tonnes | 49.81 million tonnes | 142.13 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 99.70 million tonnes | 82.02 million tonnes | 131.57 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 76.20 million tonnes | 74.63 million tonnes | 78.31 million tonnes | 5 |
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 from fossil fuels and land-use change in Zambia?
- Co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change in Zambia was 74.63 million tonnes in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 142.13 million tonnes in 2008.
- What is the lowest co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.40 million tonnes in 1978.
- How does Zambia rank for co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change?
- Zambia ranks 53rd out of 194 countries with data for 2024.
- Is co₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.5%. 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) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change. 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 total emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), including land-use change, measured in tonnes.