Annual change forest area in Zambia
Zambia: Annual change forest area was -97,156 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
-97,156
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
214th
of 235 countries
All-time high
-35,800
in 1991
All-time low
-188,180
in 2011
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Annual change forest area in Zambia, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual change forest area in Zambia is -97,156, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 48.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual change forest area in Zambia peaked at -35,800 in 1991 and was at its lowest, -188,180, in 2011.
That places Zambia 214th out of 235 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Annual change forest area in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | -35,800 | — |
| 1992 | -35,800 | -0.0% |
| 1993 | -35,800 | -0.0% |
| 1994 | -35,800 | -0.0% |
| 1995 | -35,800 | -0.0% |
| 1996 | -35,800 | -0.0% |
| 1997 | -35,800 | -0.0% |
| 1998 | -35,800 | -0.0% |
| 1999 | -35,800 | -0.0% |
| 2000 | -35,800 | -0.0% |
| 2001 | -35,800 | -0.0% |
| 2002 | -35,800 | -0.0% |
| 2003 | -35,800 | -0.0% |
| 2004 | -35,800 | -0.0% |
| 2005 | -35,800 | -0.0% |
| 2006 | -35,800 | -0.0% |
| 2007 | -35,800 | -0.0% |
| 2008 | -35,800 | -0.0% |
| 2009 | -35,800 | -0.0% |
| 2010 | -35,800 | -0.0% |
| 2011 | -188,180 | +425.6% |
| 2012 | -188,180 | -0.0% |
| 2013 | -188,180 | -0.0% |
| 2014 | -188,180 | -0.0% |
| 2015 | -188,180 | -0.0% |
| 2016 | -79,006 | -58.0% |
| 2017 | -79,006 | -0.0% |
| 2018 | -79,006 | -0.0% |
| 2019 | -79,006 | -0.0% |
| 2020 | -79,006 | -0.0% |
| 2021 | -97,156 | +23.0% |
| 2022 | -97,156 | -0.0% |
| 2023 | -97,156 | -0.0% |
| 2024 | -97,156 | -0.0% |
| 2025 | -97,156 | -0.0% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's -97,156 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is -848, 114.6× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zambia's -97,156 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is -7,546, 12.9× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | -35,800 | -35,800 | -35,800 | 9 |
| 2000s | -35,800 | -35,800 | -35,800 | 10 |
| 2010s | -129,272 | -188,180 | -35,800 | 10 |
| 2020s | -94,131 | -97,156 | -79,006 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 211 United States -72,000 compare
- 212 Somalia -75,950 compare
- 213 Cote d'Ivoire -80,822 compare
- 215 Mali -100,546 compare
- 216 Cameroon -116,956 compare
- 217 Burkina Faso -119,860 compare
More environment data for Zambia
- Grazing land use over the long-term, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Grazing land use over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0.0007 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Grazing land use over the long-term, per capita 0.9127 hectares per person (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -2.98 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -3.03 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.265 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.11 °C (2025)
- Grazing land use over the long-term, per square kilometre 26.9 hectares per square kilometre (2024)
- Sawnwood, coniferous — Production, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual change forest area in Zambia?
- Annual change forest area in Zambia was -97,156 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual change forest area recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was -35,800 in 1991.
- What is the lowest annual change forest area recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was -188,180 in 2011.
- How does Zambia rank for annual change forest area?
- Zambia ranks 214th out of 235 countries with data for 2025.
- Is annual change forest area rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 48.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Annual change forest area. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).