Coal reserves in Zambia

Zambia: Coal reserves was 945.00 million tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
945.00 million tonnes
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
45th
of 216 countries
All-time high
945.00 million tonnes
in 2014
All-time low
45.00 million tonnes
in 2008
Years of data
16
2008–2023

Coal reserves in Zambia, 2008–2023

0200.0M400.0M600.0M800.0M1.0B2008201520232008: 45.0M tonnes2009: 45.0M tonnes2010: 45.0M tonnes2011: 45.0M tonnes2012: 45.0M tonnes2013: 45.0M tonnes2014: 945.0M tonnes2015: 945.0M tonnes2016: 945.0M tonnes2017: 945.0M tonnes2018: 945.0M tonnes2019: 945.0M tonnes2020: 945.0M tonnes2021: 945.0M tonnes2022: 945.0M tonnes2023: 945.0M tonnes

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.

Analysis

The most recent figure for coal reserves in Zambia is 945.00 million tonnes, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 16 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 2,000.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, coal reserves in Zambia peaked at 945.00 million tonnes in 2014 and was at its lowest, 45.00 million tonnes, in 2008.

That places Zambia 45th out of 216 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 45.00 million tonnes 45.00 million tonnes 45.00 million tonnes 2
2010s 585.00 million tonnes 45.00 million tonnes 945.00 million tonnes 10
2020s 945.00 million tonnes 945.00 million tonnes 945.00 million tonnes 4

Countries ranked near Zambia

  1. 42 Mexico 1.16 billion tonnes compare
  2. 43 Thailand 1.06 billion tonnes compare
  3. 44 Democratic Republic of Congo 988.00 million tonnes compare
  4. 46 Georgia 901.00 million tonnes compare
  5. 47 Malawi 802.00 million tonnes compare
  6. 48 Argentina 800.00 million tonnes compare
  7. 48 Turkmenistan 800.00 million tonnes compare
  8. 48 Uganda 800.00 million tonnes compare

See the full ranking of 216 places →

More energy & mining data for Zambia

All data for Zambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is coal reserves in Zambia?
Coal reserves in Zambia was 945.00 million tonnes in 2023, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest coal reserves recorded in Zambia?
The highest recorded value was 945.00 million tonnes in 2014.
What is the lowest coal reserves recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was 45.00 million tonnes in 2008.
How does Zambia rank for coal reserves?
Zambia ranks 45th out of 216 countries with data for 2023.
Is coal reserves rising or falling in Zambia?
Over the last ten years it is up 2,000.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Zambia data come from?
The figures come from U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Coal reserves. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 16 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Coal reserves
Unit
tonnes
Source
U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
216 places, 3,421 data points, 2008–2023
Last refreshed

Proved reserves, measured in tonnes, are generally those quantities that can be recovered in the future from known reservoirs under existing economic and operating conditions, according to geological and engineering information.