Cumulative CO₂ emissions including land-use change, per square in Zambia
Zambia: Cumulative CO₂ emissions including land-use change, per square was 6,641 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
6,641 tonnes per square kilometre
Change on year
up 1.6%
World rank
146th
of 192 countries
All-time high
6,641 tonnes per square kilometre
in 2023
All-time low
1,064 tonnes per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Cumulative CO₂ emissions including land-use change, per square in Zambia, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in tonnes per square kilometre.
Analysis
In 2023, cumulative co₂ emissions including land-use change, per square in Zambia stood at 6,641 tonnes per square kilometre. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 20.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cumulative co₂ emissions including land-use change, per square in Zambia peaked at 6,641 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1,064 tonnes per square kilometre, in 1961.
That places Zambia 146th out of 192 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Cumulative CO₂ emissions including land-use change, per square in Zambia, year by year
| Year | tonnes per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1,064 tonnes per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 1,142 tonnes per square kilometre | +7.3% |
| 1963 | 1,215 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.4% |
| 1964 | 1,284 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.6% |
| 1965 | 1,357 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.7% |
| 1966 | 1,431 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.5% |
| 1967 | 1,504 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.1% |
| 1968 | 1,577 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.9% |
| 1969 | 1,652 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.7% |
| 1970 | 1,743 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.5% |
| 1971 | 1,837 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.4% |
| 1972 | 1,916 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.3% |
| 1973 | 1,994 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.1% |
| 1974 | 2,066 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.6% |
| 1975 | 2,132 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.2% |
| 1976 | 2,192 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 1977 | 2,243 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1978 | 2,273 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1979 | 2,310 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1980 | 2,356 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1981 | 2,405 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1982 | 2,461 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1983 | 2,519 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1984 | 2,581 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 1985 | 2,647 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 1986 | 2,715 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1987 | 2,781 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1988 | 2,857 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 1989 | 2,925 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1990 | 2,981 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1991 | 3,052 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1992 | 3,127 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1993 | 3,211 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 1994 | 3,298 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 1995 | 3,381 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 1996 | 3,454 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1997 | 3,537 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1998 | 3,616 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1999 | 3,687 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2000 | 3,754 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2001 | 3,839 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 2002 | 3,958 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 2003 | 4,060 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 2004 | 4,157 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 2005 | 4,288 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 2006 | 4,400 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 2007 | 4,540 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.2% |
| 2008 | 4,731 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.2% |
| 2009 | 4,888 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.3% |
| 2010 | 5,057 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.5% |
| 2011 | 5,234 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.5% |
| 2012 | 5,381 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 5,510 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 2014 | 5,632 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 5,749 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 5,874 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 2017 | 6,000 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 2018 | 6,118 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2019 | 6,229 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2020 | 6,334 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 2021 | 6,436 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 6,539 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 6,641 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.6% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 6,641 tonnes per square kilometre is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 8,461 tonnes per square kilometre, 78% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 6,641 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 6,476 tonnes per square kilometre, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1,358 tonnes per square kilometre | 1,064 tonnes per square kilometre | 1,652 tonnes per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 2,071 tonnes per square kilometre | 1,743 tonnes per square kilometre | 2,310 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 2,625 tonnes per square kilometre | 2,356 tonnes per square kilometre | 2,925 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 3,334 tonnes per square kilometre | 2,981 tonnes per square kilometre | 3,687 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 4,261 tonnes per square kilometre | 3,754 tonnes per square kilometre | 4,888 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 5,678 tonnes per square kilometre | 5,057 tonnes per square kilometre | 6,229 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 6,487 tonnes per square kilometre | 6,334 tonnes per square kilometre | 6,641 tonnes per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 143 Kazakhstan 6,922 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 144 Bolivia 6,883 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 145 Micronesia (country) 6,725 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 147 Kyrgyzstan 6,435 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 148 Ethiopia 6,311 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 149 Peru 6,171 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 including land-use change, per square in Zambia?
- Cumulative co₂ emissions including land-use change, per square in Zambia was 6,641 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest cumulative co₂ emissions including land-use change, per square recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 6,641 tonnes per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest cumulative co₂ emissions including land-use change, per square recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,064 tonnes per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does Zambia rank for cumulative co₂ emissions including land-use change, per square?
- Zambia ranks 146th out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is cumulative co₂ emissions including land-use change, per square rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.5%. 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 including 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 including 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 including land-use change ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions including 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 including 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.