Consumption-based deforestation per person in Zambia
Zambia: Consumption-based deforestation per person was 7.6 square meters in 2023. ▼ Falling
Consumption-based deforestation per person in Zambia, 2005–2023
Source: Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in square meters.
Analysis
In 2023, consumption-based deforestation per person in Zambia stood at 7.6 square meters.
The figure is down 1.6% on the previous year and down 71.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, consumption-based deforestation per person in Zambia peaked at 26.99 square meters in 2013 and was at its lowest, 7.37 square meters, in 2021.
Zambia ranks 47th of 178 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 19 years of available data.
Consumption-based deforestation per person in Zambia, year by year
| Year | square meters | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 10.67 square meters | — |
| 2006 | 11.38 square meters | +6.7% |
| 2007 | 10.99 square meters | -3.4% |
| 2008 | 12.28 square meters | +11.7% |
| 2009 | 18.89 square meters | +53.9% |
| 2010 | 23.61 square meters | +25.0% |
| 2011 | 24.14 square meters | +2.2% |
| 2012 | 24.96 square meters | +3.4% |
| 2013 | 26.99 square meters | +8.1% |
| 2014 | 20.69 square meters | -23.3% |
| 2015 | 17.03 square meters | -17.7% |
| 2016 | 16.4 square meters | -3.7% |
| 2017 | 15.89 square meters | -3.1% |
| 2018 | 12.27 square meters | -22.7% |
| 2019 | 9.8 square meters | -20.1% |
| 2020 | 7.69 square meters | -21.5% |
| 2021 | 7.37 square meters | -4.1% |
| 2022 | 7.73 square meters | +4.9% |
| 2023 | 7.6 square meters | -1.6% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 7.6 square meters is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.67 square meters, 2.9× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 7.6 square meters is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.39 square meters, 2.2× the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 12.84 square meters | 10.67 square meters | 18.89 square meters | 5 |
| 2010s | 19.18 square meters | 9.8 square meters | 26.99 square meters | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.6 square meters | 7.37 square meters | 7.73 square meters | 4 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 44 United Arab Emirates 7.89 square meters compare
- 45 North Macedonia 7.83 square meters compare
- 46 Armenia 7.61 square meters compare
- 48 Brunei 7.53 square meters compare
- 49 Myanmar 7.04 square meters compare
- 50 United States 7.02 square meters compare
More environment data for Zambia
- 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)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.74 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate 3.49 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is consumption-based deforestation per person in Zambia?
- Consumption-based deforestation per person in Zambia was 7.6 square meters in 2023, according to Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest consumption-based deforestation per person recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 26.99 square meters in 2013.
- What is the lowest consumption-based deforestation per person recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.37 square meters in 2021.
- How does Zambia rank for consumption-based deforestation per person?
- Zambia ranks 47th out of 178 countries with data for 2023.
- Is consumption-based deforestation per person rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 71.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Consumption-based deforestation per person. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 19 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Estimated average deforestation for agricultural and forestry products, per person. This is adjusted for trade, so it reflects deforestation caused by consumption, not domestic production.