Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre in Zambia
Zambia: Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre was 8,545 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
8,545 tonnes per square kilometre
Change on year
up 1.0%
World rank
78th
of 194 countries
All-time high
8,545 tonnes per square kilometre
in 2023
All-time low
3,296 tonnes per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre in Zambia, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in tonnes per square kilometre.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 8,545 tonnes per square kilometre for cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.0% on the previous year and up 13.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre in Zambia peaked at 8,545 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 3,296 tonnes per square kilometre, in 1961.
Zambia ranks 78th of 194 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre in Zambia, year by year
| Year | tonnes per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 3,296 tonnes per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 3,370 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1963 | 3,438 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1964 | 3,502 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1965 | 3,570 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1966 | 3,640 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1967 | 3,706 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1968 | 3,774 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1969 | 3,842 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1970 | 3,928 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1971 | 4,018 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1972 | 4,090 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1973 | 4,163 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1974 | 4,229 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1975 | 4,289 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1976 | 4,344 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1977 | 4,390 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1978 | 4,415 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1979 | 4,448 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 1980 | 4,489 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1981 | 4,534 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1982 | 4,585 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1983 | 4,638 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1984 | 4,697 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1985 | 4,758 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1986 | 4,823 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1987 | 4,886 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1988 | 4,957 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1989 | 5,021 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1990 | 5,075 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1991 | 5,142 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1992 | 5,214 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1993 | 5,295 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1994 | 5,378 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1995 | 5,459 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1996 | 5,530 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1997 | 5,609 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1998 | 5,684 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1999 | 5,753 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 2000 | 5,818 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 2001 | 5,901 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 6,017 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2003 | 6,116 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 6,211 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 6,338 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 6,448 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 6,584 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 2008 | 6,771 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 2009 | 6,924 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 2010 | 7,090 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 7,262 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 2012 | 7,403 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 2013 | 7,527 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 7,642 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 7,751 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 7,868 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 7,984 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 8,091 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 8,189 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 8,281 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 8,370 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 8,458 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 2023 | 8,545 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.0% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 8,545 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 7,511 tonnes per square kilometre, 1.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 8,545 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 6,514 tonnes per square kilometre, 1.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3,571 tonnes per square kilometre | 3,296 tonnes per square kilometre | 3,842 tonnes per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 4,232 tonnes per square kilometre | 3,928 tonnes per square kilometre | 4,448 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 4,739 tonnes per square kilometre | 4,489 tonnes per square kilometre | 5,021 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 5,414 tonnes per square kilometre | 5,075 tonnes per square kilometre | 5,753 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 6,313 tonnes per square kilometre | 5,818 tonnes per square kilometre | 6,924 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 7,681 tonnes per square kilometre | 7,090 tonnes per square kilometre | 8,189 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 8,413 tonnes per square kilometre | 8,281 tonnes per square kilometre | 8,545 tonnes per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 75 Gambia 9,020 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 76 Turkey 8,925 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 77 China 8,736 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 79 Congo 8,412 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 80 Barbados 8,086 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 81 Ethiopia 7,698 tonnes per square kilometre 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 cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre in Zambia?
- Cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre in Zambia was 8,545 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 8,545 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 3,296 tonnes per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does Zambia rank for cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre?
- Zambia ranks 78th out of 194 countries with data for 2023.
- Is cumulative co₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Cumulative CO₂ emissions from land-use change divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.