Per capita CO₂ emissions including land-use change in Zambia
Zambia: Per capita CO₂ emissions including land-use change was 3.5 tonnes per person in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
3.5 tonnes per person
Change on year
down 4.5%
World rank
99th
of 194 countries
All-time high
26.28 tonnes per person
in 1959
All-time low
3.5 tonnes per person
in 2024
Years of data
75
1950–2024
Per capita CO₂ emissions including land-use change in Zambia, 1950–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes per person.
Analysis
The most recent figure for per capita co₂ emissions including land-use change in Zambia is 3.5 tonnes per person, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 75 years on record.
That represents a change of down 4.5% on the previous year and down 38.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita co₂ emissions including land-use change in Zambia peaked at 26.28 tonnes per person in 1959 and was at its lowest, 3.5 tonnes per person, in 2024.
That places Zambia 99th out of 194 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Per capita CO₂ emissions including land-use change in Zambia, year by year
| Year | tonnes per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 22.42 tonnes per person | — |
| 1951 | 21.98 tonnes per person | -2.0% |
| 1952 | 22.82 tonnes per person | +3.8% |
| 1953 | 23.07 tonnes per person | +1.1% |
| 1954 | 22.97 tonnes per person | -0.5% |
| 1955 | 23.84 tonnes per person | +3.8% |
| 1956 | 24.5 tonnes per person | +2.8% |
| 1957 | 25.15 tonnes per person | +2.7% |
| 1958 | 25.3 tonnes per person | +0.6% |
| 1959 | 26.28 tonnes per person | +3.9% |
| 1960 | 26.2 tonnes per person | -0.3% |
| 1961 | 20.88 tonnes per person | -20.3% |
| 1962 | 17.29 tonnes per person | -17.2% |
| 1963 | 15.7 tonnes per person | -9.2% |
| 1964 | 14.26 tonnes per person | -9.2% |
| 1965 | 14.73 tonnes per person | +3.3% |
| 1966 | 14.51 tonnes per person | -1.5% |
| 1967 | 13.66 tonnes per person | -5.9% |
| 1968 | 13.51 tonnes per person | -1.1% |
| 1969 | 13.15 tonnes per person | -2.6% |
| 1970 | 15.72 tonnes per person | +19.6% |
| 1971 | 15.79 tonnes per person | +0.4% |
| 1972 | 12.71 tonnes per person | -19.5% |
| 1973 | 12.47 tonnes per person | -1.9% |
| 1974 | 11.06 tonnes per person | -11.3% |
| 1975 | 9.73 tonnes per person | -12.0% |
| 1976 | 8.74 tonnes per person | -10.1% |
| 1977 | 7.1 tonnes per person | -18.8% |
| 1978 | 4.1 tonnes per person | -42.2% |
| 1979 | 4.87 tonnes per person | +18.8% |
| 1980 | 5.9 tonnes per person | +21.0% |
| 1981 | 6.12 tonnes per person | +3.8% |
| 1982 | 6.71 tonnes per person | +9.6% |
| 1983 | 6.79 tonnes per person | +1.2% |
| 1984 | 7.03 tonnes per person | +3.6% |
| 1985 | 7.15 tonnes per person | +1.7% |
| 1986 | 7.28 tonnes per person | +1.9% |
| 1987 | 6.85 tonnes per person | -5.9% |
| 1988 | 7.65 tonnes per person | +11.7% |
| 1989 | 6.6 tonnes per person | -13.7% |
| 1990 | 5.39 tonnes per person | -18.3% |
| 1991 | 6.6 tonnes per person | +22.5% |
| 1992 | 6.79 tonnes per person | +2.9% |
| 1993 | 7.46 tonnes per person | +9.9% |
| 1994 | 7.53 tonnes per person | +0.9% |
| 1995 | 7.04 tonnes per person | -6.6% |
| 1996 | 6.07 tonnes per person | -13.7% |
| 1997 | 6.65 tonnes per person | +9.4% |
| 1998 | 6.15 tonnes per person | -7.4% |
| 1999 | 5.43 tonnes per person | -11.7% |
| 2000 | 4.97 tonnes per person | -8.5% |
| 2001 | 6.16 tonnes per person | +23.9% |
| 2002 | 8.29 tonnes per person | +34.6% |
| 2003 | 6.91 tonnes per person | -16.6% |
| 2004 | 6.37 tonnes per person | -7.9% |
| 2005 | 8.27 tonnes per person | +29.8% |
| 2006 | 6.9 tonnes per person | -16.6% |
| 2007 | 8.24 tonnes per person | +19.4% |
| 2008 | 10.92 tonnes per person | +32.5% |
| 2009 | 8.64 tonnes per person | -20.8% |
| 2010 | 9.03 tonnes per person | +4.5% |
| 2011 | 9.11 tonnes per person | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 7.32 tonnes per person | -19.7% |
| 2013 | 6.25 tonnes per person | -14.5% |
| 2014 | 5.69 tonnes per person | -9.0% |
| 2015 | 5.29 tonnes per person | -7.1% |
| 2016 | 5.49 tonnes per person | +3.8% |
| 2017 | 5.39 tonnes per person | -1.7% |
| 2018 | 4.88 tonnes per person | -9.5% |
| 2019 | 4.43 tonnes per person | -9.3% |
| 2020 | 4.11 tonnes per person | -7.3% |
| 2021 | 3.86 tonnes per person | -6.1% |
| 2022 | 3.79 tonnes per person | -1.8% |
| 2023 | 3.67 tonnes per person | -3.2% |
| 2024 | 3.5 tonnes per person | -4.5% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 3.5 tonnes per person is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.91 tonnes per person, 1.8× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 3.5 tonnes per person is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.42 tonnes per person, 2.5× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 23.83 tonnes per person | 21.98 tonnes per person | 26.28 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1960s | 16.39 tonnes per person | 13.15 tonnes per person | 26.2 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 10.23 tonnes per person | 4.1 tonnes per person | 15.79 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.81 tonnes per person | 5.9 tonnes per person | 7.65 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.51 tonnes per person | 5.39 tonnes per person | 7.53 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.57 tonnes per person | 4.97 tonnes per person | 10.92 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.29 tonnes per person | 4.43 tonnes per person | 9.11 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.79 tonnes per person | 3.5 tonnes per person | 4.11 tonnes per person | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 96 Mauritius 3.65 tonnes per person compare
- 97 Switzerland 3.58 tonnes per person compare
- 98 Bulgaria 3.52 tonnes per person compare
- 100 Benin 3.47 tonnes per person compare
- 101 Papua New Guinea 3.43 tonnes per person compare
- 102 North Macedonia 3.36 tonnes per person 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 per capita co₂ emissions including land-use change in Zambia?
- Per capita co₂ emissions including land-use change in Zambia was 3.5 tonnes per person in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest per capita co₂ emissions including land-use change recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 26.28 tonnes per person in 1959.
- What is the lowest per capita co₂ emissions including land-use change recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.5 tonnes per person in 2024.
- How does Zambia rank for per capita co₂ emissions including land-use change?
- Zambia ranks 99th out of 194 countries with data for 2024.
- Is per capita co₂ emissions including land-use change rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 38.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Per capita CO₂ emissions including 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 emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), including land-use change, measured in tonnes per person.