World 8.2bn peopleGDP $118tnLife expectancy 73.5 yrsOnline 73.6%
NotesAdvertise
World Report nowcountries in numbers
World Report now
  1. Home
  2. Countries
  3. Zambia
  4. Environment
Environment · Sub-Saharan Africa · Lower-middle income

Zambia: environment and emissions

CO₂ per person is 0.54 t (2024), 159th of 203 in the world and 19th of 47 in Sub-Saharan Africa. GHG per person is 1.81 t (2024), 158th of 203 in the world and 21st of 47 in Sub-Saharan Africa. GHG emissions is 38.5 Mt (2024), 95th of 203 in the world and 15th of 47 in Sub-Saharan Africa.

CO₂ per person0.54 t2024 · world 159/203 · region 19/47GHG per person1.81 t2024 · world 158/203 · region 21/47GHG emissions38.5 Mt2024 · world 95/203 · region 15/47CO₂ emissions11.6 Mt2024 · world 104/203 · region 12/47
CO₂ per person
ZambiaSub-Saharan AfricaLower-middle incomeWorld
0.02.04.06.0199520002005201020152020Zambia0.54 tSub-Saharan AfricaLower-middle incomeWorld
GHG per person
ZambiaSub-Saharan AfricaLower-middle incomeWorld
0.02.04.06.08.0199520002005201020152020Zambia1.81 tSub-Saharan AfricaLower-middle incomeWorld
15 indicators

Environment: Zambia in detail

Latest reported value, world rank and rank within Sub-Saharan Africa; values around 2000, 2010, 2020; group and world columns are World Bank aggregates.

IndicatorLatestWorld rankIn region~2000~2010~202010-year changeRegionIncome groupWorldSince 2000
CO₂ per personCO₂ emissions per capita, tonnes0.54 t2024159/20319/470.19 t0.23 t0.50 t+57%since 20140.70 t1.60 t4.69 t
GHG per personGreenhouse gas emissions per person, t CO₂e1.81 t2024158/20321/471.40 t1.43 t1.73 t+12%since 20141.91 t2.58 t6.36 t
GHG emissionsTotal greenhouse gas emissions excl. land use, Mt CO₂e38.5 Mt202495/20315/4714.0 Mt19.9 Mt33.0 Mt+51%since 20142,444.8 Mt7,482.1 Mt53,206.4 Mt
CO₂ emissionsCO₂ emissions, total excl. land use, Mt11.6 Mt2024104/20312/472.0 Mt3.2 Mt9.5 Mt+110%since 2014896.3 Mt4,634.0 Mt39,632.7 Mt
MethaneMethane emissions, Mt CO₂e18.3 Mt202475/20319/477.2 Mt10.2 Mt15.5 Mt+44%since 20141,179.9 Mt2,116.0 Mt9,536.5 Mt
Renewable energyRenewable energy, % of final energy consumption83.0%202111/21211/4890.0%89.2%85.4%−4.9 ppsince 201170.3%43.3%19.7%
Renewable powerRenewable electricity, % of output92.0%202113/2065/48100.0%99.9%201285.5%−5.5 ppsince 200532.6%24.8%27.8%
PM2.5 exposurePM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure, µg/m³20.2 µg/m³202381/20032/4822.9 µg/m³24.5 µg/m³19.4 µg/m³−8.3%since 201335.4 µg/m³49.6 µg/m³32.9 µg/m³
Forest coverForest area, % of land area60.5%202431/2148/4863.3%62.8%61.0%−1.3 ppsince 201425.7%30.2%31.1%
FarmlandAgricultural land, % of land area32.1%2024118/21038/4830.3%31.5%32.1%+0.1 ppsince 201444.7%43.0%36.9%
Arable landArable land, % of land area5.1%2024138/20635/483.8%4.6%5.1%+0.1 ppsince 201410.0%18.3%10.7%
Protected areasTerrestrial and marine protected areas, % of territory41.3%202510/2131/48··41.3%+3.3 ppsince 201514.0%12.4%17.0%
Water withdrawalsFreshwater withdrawals, % of internal resources2.0%2022131/17727/472.0%2.0%2.0%±0.0 ppsince 20123.4%16.3%9.0%
Freshwater per personRenewable internal freshwater per person, m³3,980 m³202270/18314/478,006 m³5,743 m³4,208 m³−26%since 20123,162 m³2,496 m³5,393 m³
Cereal yieldCereal yield, kg per hectare2,318 kg/ha2024111/1797/461,682 kg/ha2,541 kg/ha2,482 kg/ha−16%since 20141,453 kg/ha3,366 kg/ha4,229 kg/ha
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)“·” — no value reported within two years of that date. World rank counts countries with a recent value.

Better than ten years ago

Worse than ten years ago

Only indicators where higher or lower is clearly better are rated (for example, unemployment down is better, life expectancy up is better).

neighbours

Zambia and its neighbours

Countries sharing a land border with Zambia. Latest values since 2005; the highest in each row is marked.

IndicatorZambiaDemocratic Republic of the CongoTanzaniaAngolaMozambiqueMalawi
CO₂ per person0.54 t20240.06 t20240.31 t20240.74 t20240.29 t20240.22 t2024
GHG per person1.81 t20240.54 t20241.50 t20241.85 t20240.97 t20240.88 t2024
GHG emissions38.5 Mt202458.5 Mt2024102.5 Mt202469.9 Mt202433.6 Mt202419.0 Mt2024
CO₂ emissions11.6 Mt20246.2 Mt202421.3 Mt202428.1 Mt202410.1 Mt20244.8 Mt2024
Methane18.3 Mt202442.2 Mt202459.7 Mt202434.3 Mt202418.7 Mt20249.3 Mt2024
Renewable energy83.0%202196.3%202178.3%202152.9%202176.9%202162.9%2022
Renewable power92.0%202190.4%202137.2%202191.2%202182.7%202180.1%2021
PM2.5 exposure20.2 µg/m³202335.8 µg/m³202320.2 µg/m³202319.9 µg/m³202313.7 µg/m³202316.7 µg/m³2023
Forest cover60.5%202461.5%202449.6%202451.2%202441.3%202422.0%2024
Democratic Republic of the Congo: environmentTanzania: environmentAngola: environmentMozambique: environmentMalawi: environment
Environment in Sub-Saharan Africaall 48 economies rankedEnvironment: lower-middle-income countries47 economies rankedEnvironment: world leaderboardstop and bottom countriesZambia: all key statisticscountry profile