Methane emissions in Zambia
Zambia: Methane emissions was 21.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
21.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
Change on year
up 2.6%
World rank
74th
of 199 countries
All-time high
21.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 2024
All-time low
525,427 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 1850
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Methane emissions in Zambia, 1850–2024
Source: Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes of CO₂ equivalents.
Analysis
The most recent figure for methane emissions in Zambia is 21.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 175 years on record.
The figure is up 2.6% on the previous year and up 16.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, methane emissions in Zambia peaked at 21.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024 and was at its lowest, 525,427 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, in 1850.
Zambia ranks 74th of 199 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Methane emissions in Zambia, year by year
| Year | tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 525,427 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | — |
| 1851 | 525,867 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.1% |
| 1852 | 526,307 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.1% |
| 1853 | 526,748 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.1% |
| 1854 | 527,189 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.1% |
| 1855 | 527,629 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.1% |
| 1856 | 528,070 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.1% |
| 1857 | 528,512 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.1% |
| 1858 | 528,953 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.1% |
| 1859 | 529,395 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.1% |
| 1860 | 529,836 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.1% |
| 1861 | 530,916 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.2% |
| 1862 | 531,996 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.2% |
| 1863 | 533,320 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.2% |
| 1864 | 535,072 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.3% |
| 1865 | 536,845 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.3% |
| 1866 | 538,639 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.3% |
| 1867 | 540,455 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.3% |
| 1868 | 542,292 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.3% |
| 1869 | 544,153 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.3% |
| 1870 | 546,036 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.3% |
| 1871 | 547,965 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1872 | 549,919 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1873 | 551,898 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1874 | 553,903 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1875 | 555,936 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1876 | 557,996 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1877 | 560,084 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1878 | 562,201 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1879 | 564,349 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1880 | 566,528 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1881 | 568,760 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1882 | 571,024 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1883 | 573,322 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1884 | 575,655 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1885 | 578,024 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1886 | 580,428 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1887 | 582,871 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1888 | 585,352 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1889 | 587,873 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1890 | 590,435 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1891 | 593,061 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1892 | 595,730 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1893 | 598,443 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1894 | 601,202 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1895 | 604,008 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1896 | 606,863 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1897 | 609,767 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1898 | 612,722 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1899 | 615,730 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1900 | 618,792 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1901 | 623,627 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.8% |
| 1902 | 628,682 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.8% |
| 1903 | 633,963 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.8% |
| 1904 | 639,480 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.9% |
| 1905 | 645,242 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.9% |
| 1906 | 651,258 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.9% |
| 1907 | 657,538 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.0% |
| 1908 | 664,092 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.0% |
| 1909 | 670,930 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.0% |
| 1910 | 678,063 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.1% |
| 1911 | 695,549 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.6% |
| 1912 | 713,352 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.6% |
| 1913 | 731,485 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.5% |
| 1914 | 749,961 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.5% |
| 1915 | 768,792 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.5% |
| 1916 | 787,991 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.5% |
| 1917 | 807,573 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.5% |
| 1918 | 827,552 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.5% |
| 1919 | 847,942 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.5% |
| 1920 | 868,758 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.5% |
| 1921 | 892,250 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.7% |
| 1922 | 916,242 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.7% |
| 1923 | 940,714 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.7% |
| 1924 | 965,683 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.7% |
| 1925 | 991,168 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.6% |
| 1926 | 1.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.6% |
| 1927 | 1.04 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.6% |
| 1928 | 1.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.6% |
| 1929 | 1.10 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.6% |
| 1930 | 1.13 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.6% |
| 1931 | 1.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.8% |
| 1932 | 1.19 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.8% |
| 1933 | 1.22 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.8% |
| 1934 | 1.26 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.8% |
| 1935 | 1.29 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.7% |
| 1936 | 1.47 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +13.6% |
| 1937 | 1.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +12.3% |
| 1938 | 1.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +11.3% |
| 1939 | 2.03 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +10.5% |
| 1940 | 2.23 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +9.8% |
| 1941 | 2.44 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +9.5% |
| 1942 | 2.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +9.0% |
| 1943 | 2.88 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +8.3% |
| 1944 | 3.10 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.8% |
| 1945 | 3.33 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.4% |
| 1946 | 3.57 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.1% |
| 1947 | 3.81 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.8% |
| 1948 | 4.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.5% |
| 1949 | 4.31 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.3% |
| 1950 | 4.57 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.1% |
| 1951 | 4.88 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.7% |
| 1952 | 5.20 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.6% |
| 1953 | 5.54 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.5% |
| 1954 | 5.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.4% |
| 1955 | 6.27 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.3% |
| 1956 | 6.66 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.2% |
| 1957 | 7.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.1% |
| 1958 | 7.50 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.1% |
| 1959 | 7.95 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.0% |
| 1960 | 8.42 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.0% |
| 1961 | 8.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.3% |
| 1962 | 8.10 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1963 | 8.15 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.6% |
| 1964 | 8.18 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1965 | 8.26 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.9% |
| 1966 | 8.32 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.7% |
| 1967 | 8.44 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.4% |
| 1968 | 8.50 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.7% |
| 1969 | 8.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.1% |
| 1970 | 12.87 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +48.3% |
| 1971 | 7.13 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -44.6% |
| 1972 | 7.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +9.1% |
| 1973 | 8.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +8.4% |
| 1974 | 7.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -12.2% |
| 1975 | 8.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +20.3% |
| 1976 | 8.19 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.9% |
| 1977 | 9.41 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +14.9% |
| 1978 | 9.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.3% |
| 1979 | 12.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +30.4% |
| 1980 | 10.76 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -16.8% |
| 1981 | 9.56 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -11.1% |
| 1982 | 10.87 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +13.7% |
| 1983 | 10.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.6% |
| 1984 | 8.31 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -22.3% |
| 1985 | 8.76 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.4% |
| 1986 | 8.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.7% |
| 1987 | 11.75 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +35.0% |
| 1988 | 8.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -26.0% |
| 1989 | 9.79 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +12.5% |
| 1990 | 13.67 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +39.5% |
| 1991 | 13.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.2% |
| 1992 | 13.93 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 13.84 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 13.71 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 13.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.7% |
| 1996 | 12.94 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.0% |
| 1997 | 13.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.3% |
| 1998 | 14.35 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +8.4% |
| 1999 | 13.80 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.8% |
| 2000 | 13.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.9% |
| 2001 | 13.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.0% |
| 2002 | 14.87 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +8.7% |
| 2003 | 15.86 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.7% |
| 2004 | 15.77 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 16.55 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.9% |
| 2006 | 15.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.7% |
| 2007 | 15.99 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.4% |
| 2008 | 16.11 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 15.59 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.2% |
| 2010 | 16.71 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.2% |
| 2011 | 16.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.8% |
| 2012 | 17.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +11.3% |
| 2013 | 18.29 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.2% |
| 2014 | 18.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 18.32 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 18.19 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 17.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.6% |
| 2018 | 17.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.0% |
| 2019 | 18.63 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.1% |
| 2020 | 18.21 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.2% |
| 2021 | 18.62 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.2% |
| 2022 | 20.42 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +9.7% |
| 2023 | 20.60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 21.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.6% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 21.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 11.48 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, 1.8× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 21.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 13.22 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, 1.6× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Methane emissions in Zambia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | +48.3% | 8.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 12.87 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
| 1971 | -44.6% | 12.87 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 7.13 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
| 1990 | +39.5% | 9.79 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 13.67 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
| 1987 | +35.0% | 8.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 11.75 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
| 1979 | +30.4% | 9.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 12.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
| 1988 | -26.0% | 11.75 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 8.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 527,410 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 525,427 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 529,395 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1860s | 536,352 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 529,836 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 544,153 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1870s | 555,029 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 546,036 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 564,349 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1880s | 576,984 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 566,528 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 587,873 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1890s | 602,796 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 590,435 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 615,730 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1900s | 643,360 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 618,792 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 670,930 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1910s | 760,826 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 678,063 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 847,942 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1920s | 980,532 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 868,758 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.10 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1930s | 1.42 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 1.13 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 2.03 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1940s | 3.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 2.23 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 4.31 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1950s | 6.15 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 4.57 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 7.95 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1960s | 8.31 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 8.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 8.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1970s | 9.29 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 7.13 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 12.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1980s | 9.79 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 8.31 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 11.75 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1990s | 13.69 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 12.94 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 14.35 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2000s | 15.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 13.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 16.55 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.76 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 16.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 18.63 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.80 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 18.21 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 21.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 71 Romania 21.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 72 Guinea 21.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 73 Cameroon 21.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 75 Ghana 19.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 76 Netherlands 19.05 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 77 North Korea 18.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents 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 methane emissions in Zambia?
- Methane emissions in Zambia was 21.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024, according to Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest methane emissions recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 21.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024.
- What is the lowest methane emissions recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 525,427 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 1850.
- How does Zambia rank for methane emissions?
- Zambia ranks 74th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is methane emissions rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Methane emissions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 175 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalents over a 100-year timescale.