Imported deforestation in Zambia

Zambia: Imported deforestation was 2,331 hectares in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
2,331 hectares
Change on year
down 3.4%
World rank
93rd
of 178 countries
All-time high
5,522 hectares
in 2011
All-time low
502.71 hectares
in 2005
Years of data
19
2005–2023

Imported deforestation in Zambia, 2005–2023

02.0k4.0k6.0k2005201420232005: 502.7 hectares2006: 810.6 hectares2007: 1.6k hectares2008: 1.4k hectares2009: 2.5k hectares2010: 3.4k hectares2011: 5.5k hectares2012: 4.8k hectares2013: 5.5k hectares2014: 4.3k hectares2015: 3.0k hectares2016: 2.2k hectares2017: 2.6k hectares2018: 2.1k hectares2019: 1.9k hectares2020: 867.3 hectares2021: 1.3k hectares2022: 2.4k hectares2023: 2.3k hectares

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

Analysis

Zambia recorded 2,331 hectares for imported deforestation in 2023.

That represents a change of down 3.4% on the previous year and down 57.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, imported deforestation in Zambia peaked at 5,522 hectares in 2011 and was at its lowest, 502.71 hectares, in 2005.

That places Zambia 93rd out of 178 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 1,379 hectares 502.71 hectares 2,512 hectares 5
2010s 3,519 hectares 1,936 hectares 5,522 hectares 10
2020s 1,733 hectares 867.3 hectares 2,414 hectares 4

Countries ranked near Zambia

  1. 90 Jamaica 2,413 hectares compare
  2. 91 Bahrain 2,387 hectares compare
  3. 92 Mozambique 2,373 hectares compare
  4. 94 Democratic Republic of Congo 2,321 hectares compare
  5. 95 Tajikistan 2,320 hectares compare
  6. 96 Costa Rica 2,303 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 178 places →

More environment data for Zambia

All data for Zambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is imported deforestation in Zambia?
Imported deforestation in Zambia was 2,331 hectares in 2023, according to Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest imported deforestation recorded in Zambia?
The highest recorded value was 5,522 hectares in 2011.
What is the lowest imported deforestation recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was 502.71 hectares in 2005.
How does Zambia rank for imported deforestation?
Zambia ranks 93rd out of 178 countries with data for 2023.
Is imported deforestation rising or falling in Zambia?
Over the last ten years it is down 57.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
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 Imported deforestation. 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
Imported deforestation
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

Imported deforestation is the amount of deforestation in other countries that is driven by the production of food and forestry products that are imported. This is measured in hectares.