Deforestation embedded in trade in Zambia

Zambia: Deforestation embedded in trade was 242.33 hectares in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
242.33 hectares
Change on year
up 459.0%
World rank
117th
of 178 countries
All-time high
242.33 hectares
in 2023
All-time low
-14,343 hectares
in 2018
Years of data
19
2005–2023

Deforestation embedded in trade in Zambia, 2005–2023

-15.0k-10.0k-5.0k02005201420232005: -5.1k hectares2006: -5.6k hectares2007: -6.3k hectares2008: -8.0k hectares2009: -8.5k hectares2010: -11.3k hectares2011: -10.9k hectares2012: -12.9k hectares2013: -6.6k hectares2014: -12.9k hectares2015: -8.7k hectares2016: -12.1k hectares2017: -9.8k hectares2018: -14.3k hectares2019: -12.0k hectares2020: -12.4k hectares2021: -7.0k hectares2022: 43.4 hectares2023: 242.3 hectares

Source: Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.

Analysis

The most recent figure for deforestation embedded in trade in Zambia is 242.33 hectares, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 19 years on record.

The figure is up 459.0% on the previous year and up 103.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, deforestation embedded in trade in Zambia peaked at 242.33 hectares in 2023 and was at its lowest, -14,343 hectares, in 2018.

That places Zambia 117th out of 178 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 19 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s -6,698 hectares -8,549 hectares -5,143 hectares 5
2010s -11,157 hectares -14,343 hectares -6,636 hectares 10
2020s -4,762 hectares -12,376 hectares 242.33 hectares 4

Countries ranked near Zambia

  1. 114 Sierra Leone 309.58 hectares compare
  2. 115 Lithuania 295 hectares compare
  3. 116 Brunei 284.07 hectares compare
  4. 118 Cyprus 210.27 hectares compare
  5. 119 Iceland 149.22 hectares compare
  6. 120 Gabon 103.41 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 178 places →

More environment data for Zambia

All data for Zambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is deforestation embedded in trade in Zambia?
Deforestation embedded in trade in Zambia was 242.33 hectares in 2023, according to Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest deforestation embedded in trade recorded in Zambia?
The highest recorded value was 242.33 hectares in 2023.
What is the lowest deforestation embedded in trade recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was -14,343 hectares in 2018.
How does Zambia rank for deforestation embedded in trade?
Zambia ranks 117th out of 178 countries with data for 2023.
Is deforestation embedded in trade rising or falling in Zambia?
Over the last ten years it is up 103.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
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 Deforestation embedded in trade. 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

Indicator
Deforestation embedded in trade
Unit
hectares
Source
Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
178 places, 3,320 data points, 2005–2023
Last refreshed

Deforestation driven by imported goods minus exported goods from agriculture and forest plantations. Net importers of deforestation are countries who contribute to net deforestation in other countries – the deforestation that they cause in other countries is given as a positive value.