Annual freshwater withdrawals in Zambia
Zambia: Annual freshwater withdrawals was 1.57 billion billion cubic meters in 2022. ▼ Falling
Annual freshwater withdrawals in Zambia, 1992–2022
Source: AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, FAO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in billion cubic meters.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual freshwater withdrawals in Zambia is 1.57 billion billion cubic meters, measured in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 31 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual freshwater withdrawals in Zambia peaked at 1.75 billion billion cubic meters in 1992 and was at its lowest, 1.57 billion billion cubic meters, in 2002.
That places Zambia 96th out of 181 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 31 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.68 billion billion cubic meters | 1.62 billion billion cubic meters | 1.75 billion billion cubic meters | 8 |
| 2000s | 1.58 billion billion cubic meters | 1.57 billion billion cubic meters | 1.61 billion billion cubic meters | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.57 billion billion cubic meters | 1.57 billion billion cubic meters | 1.57 billion billion cubic meters | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.57 billion billion cubic meters | 1.57 billion billion cubic meters | 1.57 billion billion cubic meters | 3 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 93 Ireland 1.67 billion billion cubic meters compare
- 94 Oman 1.63 billion billion cubic meters compare
- 95 Honduras 1.61 billion billion cubic meters compare
- 97 Israel 1.53 billion billion cubic meters compare
- 98 Mozambique 1.47 billion billion cubic meters compare
- 99 Haiti 1.45 billion billion cubic meters compare
More environment data for Zambia
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 38.52 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 1.81 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 6.39 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 2.21 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 8.56 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.0539 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 18.28 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.0026 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.0155 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 1.04 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual freshwater withdrawals in Zambia?
- Annual freshwater withdrawals in Zambia was 1.57 billion billion cubic meters in 2022, according to AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, FAO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual freshwater withdrawals recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 1.75 billion billion cubic meters in 1992.
- What is the lowest annual freshwater withdrawals recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.57 billion billion cubic meters in 2002.
- How does Zambia rank for annual freshwater withdrawals?
- Zambia ranks 96th out of 181 countries with data for 2022.
- Is annual freshwater withdrawals rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, FAO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual freshwater withdrawals. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 31 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual freshwater withdrawals refer to total water withdrawals, not counting evaporation losses from storage basins, measured in cubic metres (m³) per year. Total water withdrawals are the sum of withdrawals for agriculture, industry and municipal (domestic uses). Withdrawals also include water from desalination plants in countries where they are a significant source.