Fossil fuel consumption per person in Zambia
Zambia: Fossil fuel consumption per person was 1,723 kilowatt-hours per person in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
1,723 kilowatt-hours per person
Change on year
down 1.2%
World rank
181st
of 219 countries
All-time high
2,468 kilowatt-hours per person
in 1980
All-time low
560.78 kilowatt-hours per person
in 2007
Years of data
45
1980–2024
Fossil fuel consumption per person in Zambia, 1980–2024
Source: Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilowatt-hours per person.
Analysis
In 2024, fossil fuel consumption per person in Zambia stood at 1,723 kilowatt-hours per person.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.2% on the previous year and up 87.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fossil fuel consumption per person in Zambia peaked at 2,468 kilowatt-hours per person in 1980 and was at its lowest, 560.78 kilowatt-hours per person, in 2007.
That places Zambia 181st out of 219 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 45 years of available data.
Fossil fuel consumption per person in Zambia, year by year
| Year | kilowatt-hours per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 2,468 kilowatt-hours per person | — |
| 1981 | 2,034 kilowatt-hours per person | -17.6% |
| 1982 | 2,022 kilowatt-hours per person | -0.6% |
| 1983 | 1,893 kilowatt-hours per person | -6.4% |
| 1984 | 1,726 kilowatt-hours per person | -8.8% |
| 1985 | 1,591 kilowatt-hours per person | -7.8% |
| 1986 | 1,588 kilowatt-hours per person | -0.2% |
| 1987 | 1,518 kilowatt-hours per person | -4.4% |
| 1988 | 1,629 kilowatt-hours per person | +7.3% |
| 1989 | 1,535 kilowatt-hours per person | -5.8% |
| 1990 | 1,395 kilowatt-hours per person | -9.1% |
| 1991 | 1,201 kilowatt-hours per person | -13.9% |
| 1992 | 1,318 kilowatt-hours per person | +9.7% |
| 1993 | 1,123 kilowatt-hours per person | -14.8% |
| 1994 | 1,075 kilowatt-hours per person | -4.3% |
| 1995 | 870.15 kilowatt-hours per person | -19.1% |
| 1996 | 909.92 kilowatt-hours per person | +4.6% |
| 1997 | 907.53 kilowatt-hours per person | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 921.14 kilowatt-hours per person | +1.5% |
| 1999 | 791.84 kilowatt-hours per person | -14.0% |
| 2000 | 744.93 kilowatt-hours per person | -5.9% |
| 2001 | 757.69 kilowatt-hours per person | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 773.49 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.1% |
| 2003 | 793.17 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.5% |
| 2004 | 779.59 kilowatt-hours per person | -1.7% |
| 2005 | 799.89 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.6% |
| 2006 | 750.79 kilowatt-hours per person | -6.1% |
| 2007 | 560.78 kilowatt-hours per person | -25.3% |
| 2008 | 638.98 kilowatt-hours per person | +13.9% |
| 2009 | 656.92 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.8% |
| 2010 | 645.59 kilowatt-hours per person | -1.7% |
| 2011 | 701.2 kilowatt-hours per person | +8.6% |
| 2012 | 837.21 kilowatt-hours per person | +19.4% |
| 2013 | 830.59 kilowatt-hours per person | -0.8% |
| 2014 | 918.58 kilowatt-hours per person | +10.6% |
| 2015 | 948.53 kilowatt-hours per person | +3.3% |
| 2016 | 981.63 kilowatt-hours per person | +3.5% |
| 2017 | 1,248 kilowatt-hours per person | +27.1% |
| 2018 | 1,357 kilowatt-hours per person | +8.7% |
| 2019 | 1,322 kilowatt-hours per person | -2.6% |
| 2020 | 1,394 kilowatt-hours per person | +5.5% |
| 2021 | 1,378 kilowatt-hours per person | -1.2% |
| 2022 | 1,273 kilowatt-hours per person | -7.6% |
| 2023 | 1,744 kilowatt-hours per person | +37.1% |
| 2024 | 1,723 kilowatt-hours per person | -1.2% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 1,723 kilowatt-hours per person is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3,082 kilowatt-hours per person, 56% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 1,723 kilowatt-hours per person is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1,345 kilowatt-hours per person, 1.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1,800 kilowatt-hours per person | 1,518 kilowatt-hours per person | 2,468 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,051 kilowatt-hours per person | 791.84 kilowatt-hours per person | 1,395 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 725.62 kilowatt-hours per person | 560.78 kilowatt-hours per person | 799.89 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 979.01 kilowatt-hours per person | 645.59 kilowatt-hours per person | 1,357 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,502 kilowatt-hours per person | 1,273 kilowatt-hours per person | 1,744 kilowatt-hours per person | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 178 Benin 2,079 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 179 East Timor 1,982 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 180 Comoros 1,821 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 182 Solomon Islands 1,619 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 183 Yemen 1,503 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 184 Lesotho 1,432 kilowatt-hours per person compare
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 fossil fuel consumption per person in Zambia?
- Fossil fuel consumption per person in Zambia was 1,723 kilowatt-hours per person in 2024, according to Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fossil fuel consumption per person recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 2,468 kilowatt-hours per person in 1980.
- What is the lowest fossil fuel consumption per person recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 560.78 kilowatt-hours per person in 2007.
- How does Zambia rank for fossil fuel consumption per person?
- Zambia ranks 181st out of 219 countries with data for 2024.
- Is fossil fuel consumption per person rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 87.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Fossil fuel consumption per person. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in kilowatt-hours per person. Fossil fuels include coal, oil, and gas.