Energy imports and exports in Zambia
Zambia: Energy imports and exports was 9.0% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Energy imports and exports in Zambia, 1990–2022
Source: IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, IEA, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of energy use.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 9.0% for energy imports and exports in 2022.
That represents a change of down 7.3% on the previous year and down 17.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, energy imports and exports in Zambia peaked at 12.9% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 6.4%, in 1999.
That places Zambia 93rd out of 142 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Energy imports and exports in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % of energy use | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 10.8% | — |
| 1991 | 7.4% | -31.4% |
| 1992 | 10.5% | +41.8% |
| 1993 | 7.3% | -30.6% |
| 1994 | 7.6% | +4.4% |
| 1995 | 8.2% | +7.4% |
| 1996 | 8.8% | +7.6% |
| 1997 | 6.6% | -24.8% |
| 1998 | 8.7% | +32.3% |
| 1999 | 6.4% | -26.8% |
| 2000 | 6.8% | +5.6% |
| 2001 | 6.9% | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 7.8% | +13.2% |
| 2003 | 8.6% | +10.4% |
| 2004 | 9.3% | +8.5% |
| 2005 | 9.4% | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 8.9% | -4.9% |
| 2007 | 8.6% | -4.1% |
| 2008 | 10.4% | +21.3% |
| 2009 | 9.8% | -5.8% |
| 2010 | 9.9% | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 10.9% | +9.6% |
| 2012 | 11.0% | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 10.7% | -1.9% |
| 2014 | 10.1% | -5.8% |
| 2015 | 12.9% | +27.1% |
| 2016 | 12.9% | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 10.9% | -15.9% |
| 2018 | 9.3% | -14.2% |
| 2019 | 11.2% | +19.7% |
| 2020 | 9.0% | -19.4% |
| 2021 | 9.7% | +8.1% |
| 2022 | 9.0% | -7.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8.2% | 6.4% | 10.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.6% | 6.8% | 10.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.0% | 9.3% | 12.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.3% | 9.0% | 9.7% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More energy & mining data for Zambia
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate 0.0312 % change on previous year (2024)
- Coal consumption, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Coal consumption, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary energy use, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary energy use, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Coal production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Coal production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fuel imports 22.9% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is energy imports and exports in Zambia?
- Energy imports and exports in Zambia was 9.0% in 2022, according to IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, IEA, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest energy imports and exports recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 12.9% in 2016.
- What is the lowest energy imports and exports recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.4% in 1999.
- How does Zambia rank for energy imports and exports?
- Zambia ranks 93rd out of 142 countries with data for 2022.
- Is energy imports and exports rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, IEA, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Energy imports and exports. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 33 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Energy trade, measured as the percentage of energy use. Positive values indicate a country or region is a net importer of energy. Negative numbers indicate a country or region is a net exporter.