Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Zambia
Zambia: Greenhouse gas emissions by sector was 23.86 million tonnes in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
23.86 million tonnes
Change on year
down 4.2%
World rank
53rd
of 193 countries
All-time high
24.91 million tonnes
in 2022
All-time low
17.68 million tonnes
in 2000
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Zambia, 1990–2023
Source: Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2023, greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Zambia stood at 23.86 million tonnes.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.2% on the previous year and down 0.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Zambia peaked at 24.91 million tonnes in 2022 and was at its lowest, 17.68 million tonnes, in 2000.
That places Zambia 53rd out of 193 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.
Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Zambia, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 19.92 million tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 20.08 million tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1992 | 20.19 million tonnes | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 20.00 million tonnes | -0.9% |
| 1994 | 19.58 million tonnes | -2.1% |
| 1995 | 19.30 million tonnes | -1.4% |
| 1996 | 17.99 million tonnes | -6.8% |
| 1997 | 18.19 million tonnes | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 19.96 million tonnes | +9.7% |
| 1999 | 18.56 million tonnes | -7.0% |
| 2000 | 17.68 million tonnes | -4.7% |
| 2001 | 17.94 million tonnes | +1.5% |
| 2002 | 20.23 million tonnes | +12.8% |
| 2003 | 22.01 million tonnes | +8.8% |
| 2004 | 21.73 million tonnes | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 22.84 million tonnes | +5.1% |
| 2006 | 20.70 million tonnes | -9.4% |
| 2007 | 21.36 million tonnes | +3.2% |
| 2008 | 21.38 million tonnes | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 19.89 million tonnes | -7.0% |
| 2010 | 21.81 million tonnes | +9.7% |
| 2011 | 20.77 million tonnes | -4.8% |
| 2012 | 23.45 million tonnes | +12.9% |
| 2013 | 24.02 million tonnes | +2.4% |
| 2014 | 23.31 million tonnes | -3.0% |
| 2015 | 23.68 million tonnes | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 23.34 million tonnes | -1.4% |
| 2017 | 21.92 million tonnes | -6.1% |
| 2018 | 21.93 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 23.11 million tonnes | +5.4% |
| 2020 | 22.26 million tonnes | -3.7% |
| 2021 | 22.57 million tonnes | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 24.91 million tonnes | +10.4% |
| 2023 | 23.86 million tonnes | -4.2% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 23.86 million tonnes is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 10.91 million tonnes, 2.2× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 23.86 million tonnes is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 11.69 million tonnes, 2.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 19.38 million tonnes | 17.99 million tonnes | 20.19 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 20.58 million tonnes | 17.68 million tonnes | 22.84 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 22.73 million tonnes | 20.77 million tonnes | 24.02 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 23.40 million tonnes | 22.26 million tonnes | 24.91 million tonnes | 4 |
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 greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Zambia?
- Greenhouse gas emissions by sector in Zambia was 23.86 million tonnes in 2023, according to Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest greenhouse gas emissions by sector recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 24.91 million tonnes in 2022.
- What is the lowest greenhouse gas emissions by sector recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.68 million tonnes in 2000.
- How does Zambia rank for greenhouse gas emissions by sector?
- Zambia ranks 53rd out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is greenhouse gas emissions by sector rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.7%. 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 Greenhouse gas emissions by sector. 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 of carbon dioxide-equivalents.