Per capita GHG emissions vs. per capita CO₂ emissions in Zambia
Zambia: Per capita GHG emissions vs. per capita CO₂ emissions was 4.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
4.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
Change on year
down 2.6%
World rank
108th
of 198 countries
All-time high
21.81 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
in 1959
All-time low
4.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person
in 2024
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Per capita GHG emissions vs. per capita CO₂ emissions in Zambia, 1850–2024
Source: Jones et al. (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 4.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person for per capita ghg emissions vs. per capita co₂ emissions in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 175 years on record.
The figure is down 2.6% on the previous year and down 25.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita ghg emissions vs. per capita co₂ emissions in Zambia peaked at 21.81 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 1959 and was at its lowest, 4.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, in 2024.
That places Zambia 108th out of 198 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 GHG emissions vs. per capita CO₂ emissions in Zambia, year by year
| Year | tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 7.7 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | — |
| 1851 | 7.24 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -6.0% |
| 1852 | 7 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.3% |
| 1853 | 6.96 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.7% |
| 1854 | 6.81 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.1% |
| 1855 | 6.71 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.5% |
| 1856 | 6.6 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.7% |
| 1857 | 6.55 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.7% |
| 1858 | 6.46 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.4% |
| 1859 | 6.4 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.9% |
| 1860 | 6.35 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.7% |
| 1861 | 6.28 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.0% |
| 1862 | 6.23 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.8% |
| 1863 | 6.2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.6% |
| 1864 | 6.16 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.6% |
| 1865 | 6.17 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.2% |
| 1866 | 6.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.8% |
| 1867 | 6.1 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.4% |
| 1868 | 6.09 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.1% |
| 1869 | 6.07 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.3% |
| 1870 | 6.08 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1871 | 6.08 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.1% |
| 1872 | 6.12 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.6% |
| 1873 | 6.18 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.0% |
| 1874 | 6.18 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.0% |
| 1875 | 6.19 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.2% |
| 1876 | 6.23 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.5% |
| 1877 | 6.25 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.4% |
| 1878 | 6.27 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.4% |
| 1879 | 6.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.7% |
| 1880 | 6.54 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.4% |
| 1881 | 6.7 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.5% |
| 1882 | 6.81 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.6% |
| 1883 | 7.08 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.0% |
| 1884 | 7.01 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.1% |
| 1885 | 7.05 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.6% |
| 1886 | 7.09 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.6% |
| 1887 | 7.26 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.3% |
| 1888 | 7.25 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.1% |
| 1889 | 7.27 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.2% |
| 1890 | 7.03 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.3% |
| 1891 | 6.82 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.9% |
| 1892 | 6.69 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.9% |
| 1893 | 6.6 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.4% |
| 1894 | 6.53 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.1% |
| 1895 | 6.47 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.9% |
| 1896 | 6.42 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.8% |
| 1897 | 6.38 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.7% |
| 1898 | 6.35 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.5% |
| 1899 | 6.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.3% |
| 1900 | 6.21 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.8% |
| 1901 | 6.13 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.3% |
| 1902 | 5.99 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.3% |
| 1903 | 5.82 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.9% |
| 1904 | 5.84 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.4% |
| 1905 | 5.61 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -3.8% |
| 1906 | 5.55 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.1% |
| 1907 | 5.58 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.5% |
| 1908 | 5.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.3% |
| 1909 | 5.35 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.8% |
| 1910 | 5.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.9% |
| 1911 | 5.46 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.2% |
| 1912 | 5.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.2% |
| 1913 | 5.53 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.4% |
| 1914 | 5.63 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.7% |
| 1915 | 5.72 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.6% |
| 1916 | 5.84 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.1% |
| 1917 | 5.98 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.4% |
| 1918 | 6.13 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.5% |
| 1919 | 6.27 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.3% |
| 1920 | 9.02 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +43.9% |
| 1921 | 10.96 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +21.5% |
| 1922 | 11.88 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +8.4% |
| 1923 | 12.77 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +7.5% |
| 1924 | 13.09 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.5% |
| 1925 | 13.79 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +5.3% |
| 1926 | 14.14 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.6% |
| 1927 | 14.21 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.5% |
| 1928 | 14.38 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.2% |
| 1929 | 14.58 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.4% |
| 1930 | 14.77 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.3% |
| 1931 | 14.97 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.4% |
| 1932 | 15.06 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.6% |
| 1933 | 15.14 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.5% |
| 1934 | 15.2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.4% |
| 1935 | 14.96 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.6% |
| 1936 | 15.21 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.6% |
| 1937 | 15.47 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.8% |
| 1938 | 15.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.0% |
| 1939 | 15.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +0.8% |
| 1940 | 16.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +7.8% |
| 1941 | 17.87 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +7.3% |
| 1942 | 18.15 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.6% |
| 1943 | 18.83 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.7% |
| 1944 | 19.47 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.4% |
| 1945 | 20.2 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.8% |
| 1946 | 20.41 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.0% |
| 1947 | 20.9 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.4% |
| 1948 | 21.55 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.1% |
| 1949 | 21.44 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.5% |
| 1950 | 21.38 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.3% |
| 1951 | 20.92 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.2% |
| 1952 | 21.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.5% |
| 1953 | 21.35 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.5% |
| 1954 | 21.01 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.6% |
| 1955 | 21.41 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.9% |
| 1956 | 21.69 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.3% |
| 1957 | 21.47 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.0% |
| 1958 | 21.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.1% |
| 1959 | 21.81 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.7% |
| 1960 | 21.67 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.6% |
| 1961 | 19.05 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -12.1% |
| 1962 | 16.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -12.6% |
| 1963 | 15.53 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -6.7% |
| 1964 | 14.38 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -7.4% |
| 1965 | 14.62 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.7% |
| 1966 | 14.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.1% |
| 1967 | 14.01 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.1% |
| 1968 | 13.7 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.2% |
| 1969 | 13.4 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.2% |
| 1970 | 16.13 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +20.4% |
| 1971 | 13.49 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -16.4% |
| 1972 | 11.93 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -11.5% |
| 1973 | 11.75 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.5% |
| 1974 | 10.64 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -9.5% |
| 1975 | 10.11 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.0% |
| 1976 | 9.14 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -9.5% |
| 1977 | 8.28 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -9.4% |
| 1978 | 6.46 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -22.0% |
| 1979 | 7.52 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +16.4% |
| 1980 | 7.18 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.5% |
| 1981 | 6.87 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.3% |
| 1982 | 7.53 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +9.5% |
| 1983 | 7.37 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.1% |
| 1984 | 6.74 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -8.5% |
| 1985 | 6.93 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.9% |
| 1986 | 7.01 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.2% |
| 1987 | 7.57 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +7.9% |
| 1988 | 7.35 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.9% |
| 1989 | 7.05 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.0% |
| 1990 | 6.92 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.8% |
| 1991 | 7.48 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +8.0% |
| 1992 | 7.46 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 7.79 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +4.4% |
| 1994 | 7.73 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.8% |
| 1995 | 7.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.3% |
| 1996 | 6.62 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -9.5% |
| 1997 | 6.86 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +3.6% |
| 1998 | 6.73 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.0% |
| 1999 | 6.16 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -8.5% |
| 2000 | 5.81 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.7% |
| 2001 | 6.4 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +10.1% |
| 2002 | 7.91 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +23.6% |
| 2003 | 7.41 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -6.2% |
| 2004 | 6.98 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.8% |
| 2005 | 7.94 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +13.7% |
| 2006 | 7.06 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -11.1% |
| 2007 | 7.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +8.4% |
| 2008 | 9.35 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +22.2% |
| 2009 | 8.15 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -12.8% |
| 2010 | 8.37 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +2.6% |
| 2011 | 8.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 7.4 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -10.8% |
| 2013 | 6.68 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -9.7% |
| 2014 | 6.25 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -6.5% |
| 2015 | 5.98 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.3% |
| 2016 | 6.05 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 5.95 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 5.58 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -6.3% |
| 2019 | 5.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -5.2% |
| 2020 | 5.04 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.7% |
| 2021 | 4.82 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -4.5% |
| 2022 | 4.89 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 4.77 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.4% |
| 2024 | 4.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | -2.6% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 4.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.9 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, 1.6× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 4.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.64 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person, 1.8× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Per capita GHG emissions vs. per capita CO₂ 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | +43.9% | 6.27 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 9.02 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 6.84 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 6.4 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 7.7 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1860s | 6.18 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 6.07 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 6.35 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1870s | 6.19 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 6.08 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 6.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1880s | 7.01 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 6.54 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 7.27 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1890s | 6.56 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 6.32 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 7.03 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1900s | 5.75 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 5.35 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 6.21 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1910s | 5.75 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 5.45 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 6.27 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1920s | 12.88 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 9.02 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 14.58 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1930s | 15.16 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 14.77 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 15.47 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1940s | 19.55 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 16.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 21.55 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1950s | 21.39 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 20.92 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 21.81 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1960s | 15.73 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 13.4 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 21.67 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 10.54 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 6.46 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 16.13 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.16 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 6.74 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 7.57 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 7.11 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 6.16 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 7.79 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.46 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 5.81 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 9.35 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.58 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 5.29 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 8.37 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.83 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 4.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 5.04 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 105 Niue 4.71 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 106 Colombia 4.69 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 107 Panama 4.68 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 109 Switzerland 4.5 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 110 North Macedonia 4.43 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person compare
- 111 Peru 4.41 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents 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 ghg emissions vs. per capita co₂ emissions in Zambia?
- Per capita ghg emissions vs. per capita co₂ emissions in Zambia was 4.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 2024, according to Jones et al. (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest per capita ghg emissions vs. per capita co₂ emissions recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 21.81 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 1959.
- What is the lowest per capita ghg emissions vs. per capita co₂ emissions recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.65 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 2024.
- How does Zambia rank for per capita ghg emissions vs. per capita co₂ emissions?
- Zambia ranks 108th out of 198 countries with data for 2024.
- Is per capita ghg emissions vs. per capita co₂ emissions rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.6%. 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); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Per capita GHG emissions vs. per capita CO₂ 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
Greenhouse gas emissions are measured in tonnes per person of carbon dioxide-equivalents over a 100-year timescale.