Share of rural and urban population with access to clean fuels for cooking in Zambia
Zambia: Share of rural and urban population with access to clean fuels for cooking was 16.8 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of rural and urban population with access to clean fuels for cooking in Zambia, 2000–2023
Source: International Energy Agency (IEA), International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), UN Statistics Division, World Health Organization (WHO), and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2023, share of rural and urban population with access to clean fuels for cooking in Zambia stood at 16.8. That is the lowest value across all 24 years on record.
The figure is down 8.2% on the previous year and down 50.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of rural and urban population with access to clean fuels for cooking in Zambia peaked at 39.9 in 2006 and was at its lowest, 16.8, in 2023.
Zambia ranks 171st of 189 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Share of rural and urban population with access to clean fuels for cooking in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 38.2 | — |
| 2001 | 38.6 | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 39.1 | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 39.5 | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 39.8 | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 39.8 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 39.9 | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 39.6 | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 39.3 | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 38.7 | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 37.9 | -2.1% |
| 2011 | 36.6 | -3.4% |
| 2012 | 35.5 | -3.0% |
| 2013 | 33.9 | -4.5% |
| 2014 | 32.1 | -5.3% |
| 2015 | 30.3 | -5.6% |
| 2016 | 28.5 | -5.9% |
| 2017 | 26.6 | -6.7% |
| 2018 | 24.9 | -6.4% |
| 2019 | 23 | -7.6% |
| 2020 | 21.3 | -7.4% |
| 2021 | 19.9 | -6.6% |
| 2022 | 18.3 | -8.0% |
| 2023 | 16.8 | -8.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 39.25 | 38.2 | 39.9 | 10 |
| 2010s | 30.93 | 23 | 37.9 | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.07 | 16.8 | 21.3 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 168 Korea, Democratic People's Republic of 22 compare
- 169 Comoros 19.3 compare
- 170 Mozambique 17.7 compare
- 172 Djibouti 12.3 compare
- 173 Benin 9.8 compare
- 174 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 9.7 compare
More population data for Zambia
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.5254 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.2495 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.5254 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.5112 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 37,460 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 2.52 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.2967 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.5% (2100)
- Population density 86.73 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 4.60 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of rural and urban population with access to clean fuels for cooking in Zambia?
- Share of rural and urban population with access to clean fuels for cooking in Zambia was 16.8 in 2023, according to International Energy Agency (IEA), International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), UN Statistics Division, World Health Organization (WHO), and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of rural and urban population with access to clean fuels for cooking recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 39.9 in 2006.
- What is the lowest share of rural and urban population with access to clean fuels for cooking recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.8 in 2023.
- How does Zambia rank for share of rural and urban population with access to clean fuels for cooking?
- Zambia ranks 171st out of 189 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of rural and urban population with access to clean fuels for cooking rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 50.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from International Energy Agency (IEA), International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), UN Statistics Division, World Health Organization (WHO), and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of rural and urban population with access to clean fuels for cooking. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Access to clean fuels or technologies such as natural gas, electricity, and clean cookstoves reduces exposure to indoor air pollutants, a leading cause of death in low-income households.