Net electricity imports in Zambia
Zambia: Net electricity imports was -3.12 terawatt-hours in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Net electricity imports in Zambia, 2000–2024
Source: Ember (2026); Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy of the UK (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.
Analysis
Zambia recorded -3.12 terawatt-hours for net electricity imports in 2024.
The figure is up 7.4% on the previous year and down 151.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, net electricity imports in Zambia peaked at 1.39 terawatt-hours in 2016 and was at its lowest, -3.37 terawatt-hours, in 2023.
That places Zambia 198th out of 214 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Net electricity imports in Zambia, year by year
| Year | terawatt-hours | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | -1.35 terawatt-hours | — |
| 2001 | -1.07 terawatt-hours | -20.7% |
| 2002 | -0.79 terawatt-hours | -26.2% |
| 2003 | -0.51 terawatt-hours | -35.4% |
| 2004 | -0.23 terawatt-hours | -54.9% |
| 2005 | -0.24 terawatt-hours | +4.3% |
| 2006 | -0.51 terawatt-hours | +112.5% |
| 2007 | -0.14 terawatt-hours | -72.5% |
| 2008 | 0.17 terawatt-hours | -221.4% |
| 2009 | -0.58 terawatt-hours | -441.2% |
| 2010 | -0.56 terawatt-hours | -3.4% |
| 2011 | 0.09 terawatt-hours | -116.1% |
| 2012 | -0.82 terawatt-hours | -1011.1% |
| 2013 | -1.01 terawatt-hours | +23.2% |
| 2014 | -1.24 terawatt-hours | +22.8% |
| 2015 | -0.39 terawatt-hours | -68.5% |
| 2016 | 1.39 terawatt-hours | -456.4% |
| 2017 | -0.31 terawatt-hours | -122.3% |
| 2018 | -1.07 terawatt-hours | +245.2% |
| 2019 | -0.78 terawatt-hours | -27.1% |
| 2020 | -1.21 terawatt-hours | +55.1% |
| 2021 | -2.13 terawatt-hours | +76.0% |
| 2022 | -3.04 terawatt-hours | +42.7% |
| 2023 | -3.37 terawatt-hours | +10.9% |
| 2024 | -3.12 terawatt-hours | -7.4% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's -3.12 terawatt-hours is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.15 terawatt-hours. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Net electricity imports in Zambia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | -1011.1% | 0.09 terawatt-hours | -0.82 terawatt-hours |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | -0.525 terawatt-hours | -1.35 terawatt-hours | 0.17 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | -0.47 terawatt-hours | -1.24 terawatt-hours | 1.39 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | -2.57 terawatt-hours | -3.37 terawatt-hours | -1.21 terawatt-hours | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 195 Ghana -2.44 terawatt-hours compare
- 196 Algeria -2.52 terawatt-hours compare
- 197 Greece -2.71 terawatt-hours compare
- 199 Mozambique -3.3 terawatt-hours compare
- 200 Tajikistan -5.2 terawatt-hours compare
- 201 South Africa -5.92 terawatt-hours 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 net electricity imports in Zambia?
- Net electricity imports in Zambia was -3.12 terawatt-hours in 2024, according to Ember (2026); Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy of the UK (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest net electricity imports recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 1.39 terawatt-hours in 2016.
- What is the lowest net electricity imports recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was -3.37 terawatt-hours in 2023.
- How does Zambia rank for net electricity imports?
- Zambia ranks 198th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is net electricity imports rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 151.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Ember (2026); Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy of the UK (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Net electricity imports. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Electricity imports minus exports, measured in terawatt-hours.