Primary energy use in Zambia
Zambia: Primary energy use was 50.97 terawatt-hours in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
50.97 terawatt-hours
Change on year
up 0.0%
World rank
114th
of 219 countries
All-time high
50.97 terawatt-hours
in 2024
All-time low
13.79 terawatt-hours
in 2000
Years of data
45
1980–2024
Primary energy use in Zambia, 1980–2024
Source: Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.
Analysis
The most recent figure for primary energy use in Zambia is 50.97 terawatt-hours, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 84.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary energy use in Zambia peaked at 50.97 terawatt-hours in 2024 and was at its lowest, 13.79 terawatt-hours, in 2000.
That places Zambia 114th out of 219 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Primary energy use in Zambia, year by year
| Year | terawatt-hours | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 20.59 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1981 | 18.86 terawatt-hours | -8.4% |
| 1982 | 19.22 terawatt-hours | +1.9% |
| 1983 | 18.83 terawatt-hours | -2.0% |
| 1984 | 18.09 terawatt-hours | -3.9% |
| 1985 | 17.56 terawatt-hours | -2.9% |
| 1986 | 17.71 terawatt-hours | +0.8% |
| 1987 | 17.79 terawatt-hours | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 18.85 terawatt-hours | +6.0% |
| 1989 | 16.87 terawatt-hours | -10.5% |
| 1990 | 17.11 terawatt-hours | +1.4% |
| 1991 | 15.82 terawatt-hours | -7.5% |
| 1992 | 16.96 terawatt-hours | +7.2% |
| 1993 | 15.59 terawatt-hours | -8.1% |
| 1994 | 15.41 terawatt-hours | -1.2% |
| 1995 | 13.96 terawatt-hours | -9.4% |
| 1996 | 13.97 terawatt-hours | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 15.02 terawatt-hours | +7.5% |
| 1998 | 15.1 terawatt-hours | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 13.8 terawatt-hours | -8.6% |
| 2000 | 13.79 terawatt-hours | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 14.65 terawatt-hours | +6.2% |
| 2002 | 15.55 terawatt-hours | +6.1% |
| 2003 | 16.46 terawatt-hours | +5.8% |
| 2004 | 17.07 terawatt-hours | +3.7% |
| 2005 | 18.01 terawatt-hours | +5.5% |
| 2006 | 18.27 terawatt-hours | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 16.54 terawatt-hours | -9.5% |
| 2008 | 18.01 terawatt-hours | +8.9% |
| 2009 | 18.16 terawatt-hours | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 18.89 terawatt-hours | +4.0% |
| 2011 | 21.7 terawatt-hours | +14.9% |
| 2012 | 24.02 terawatt-hours | +10.7% |
| 2013 | 25.06 terawatt-hours | +4.3% |
| 2014 | 27.6 terawatt-hours | +10.1% |
| 2015 | 28.4 terawatt-hours | +2.9% |
| 2016 | 29.22 terawatt-hours | +2.9% |
| 2017 | 34.16 terawatt-hours | +16.9% |
| 2018 | 37.21 terawatt-hours | +8.9% |
| 2019 | 36.33 terawatt-hours | -2.4% |
| 2020 | 38.49 terawatt-hours | +6.0% |
| 2021 | 41.29 terawatt-hours | +7.3% |
| 2022 | 40.04 terawatt-hours | -3.0% |
| 2023 | 50.96 terawatt-hours | +27.3% |
| 2024 | 50.97 terawatt-hours | +0.0% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 50.97 terawatt-hours is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 52.67 terawatt-hours, 97% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 50.97 terawatt-hours is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 20.78 terawatt-hours, 2.5× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 18.44 terawatt-hours | 16.87 terawatt-hours | 20.59 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1990s | 15.27 terawatt-hours | 13.8 terawatt-hours | 17.11 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 16.65 terawatt-hours | 13.79 terawatt-hours | 18.27 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 28.26 terawatt-hours | 18.89 terawatt-hours | 37.21 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 44.35 terawatt-hours | 38.49 terawatt-hours | 50.97 terawatt-hours | 5 |
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 primary energy use in Zambia?
- Primary energy use in Zambia was 50.97 terawatt-hours in 2024, according to Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest primary energy use recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 50.97 terawatt-hours in 2024.
- What is the lowest primary energy use recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.79 terawatt-hours in 2000.
- How does Zambia rank for primary energy use?
- Zambia ranks 114th out of 219 countries with data for 2024.
- Is primary energy use rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 84.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Primary energy use. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in terawatt-hours of total energy supply.