Primary Forest Loss in Zambia
Zambia: Primary Forest Loss was 3,998 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Primary Forest Loss in Zambia, 2002–2025
Source: World Bank.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 3,998 for primary forest loss in 2025. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.1% on the previous year and up 71.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary forest loss in Zambia peaked at 3,998 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 62, in 2002.
That places Zambia 38th out of 80 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Primary Forest Loss in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 62 | — |
| 2003 | 133 | +114.5% |
| 2004 | 432 | +224.8% |
| 2005 | 243 | -43.8% |
| 2006 | 277 | +14.0% |
| 2007 | 538 | +94.2% |
| 2008 | 305 | -43.3% |
| 2009 | 1,299 | +325.9% |
| 2010 | 2,851 | +119.5% |
| 2011 | 177 | -93.8% |
| 2012 | 950 | +436.7% |
| 2013 | 1,598 | +68.2% |
| 2014 | 2,062 | +29.0% |
| 2015 | 2,337 | +13.3% |
| 2016 | 2,860 | +22.4% |
| 2017 | 3,361 | +17.5% |
| 2018 | 2,424 | -27.9% |
| 2019 | 2,555 | +5.4% |
| 2020 | 2,166 | -15.2% |
| 2021 | 2,912 | +34.4% |
| 2022 | 2,423 | -16.8% |
| 2023 | 2,675 | +10.4% |
| 2024 | 3,914 | +46.3% |
| 2025 | 3,998 | +2.1% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 3,998 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 7,149, 56% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 3,998 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2,522, 1.6× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Primary Forest Loss 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 | +436.7% | 177 | 950 |
| 2009 | +325.9% | 305 | 1,299 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 411.12 | 62 | 1,299 | 8 |
| 2010s | 2,118 | 177 | 3,361 | 10 |
| 2020s | 3,015 | 2,166 | 3,998 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More agriculture & rural data for Zambia
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 65.37 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0411 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 54.11 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.97 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0004 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5408 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 4.1% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 4.1% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.4% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary forest loss in Zambia?
- Primary forest loss in Zambia was 3,998 in 2025, according to the World Bank.
- What is the highest primary forest loss recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 3,998 in 2025.
- What is the lowest primary forest loss recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 62 in 2002.
- How does Zambia rank for primary forest loss?
- Zambia ranks 38th out of 80 countries with data for 2025.
- Is primary forest loss rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 71.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from the World Bank, published as part of Primary Forest Loss. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).