Average annual surface temperature in Zambia
Zambia: Average annual surface temperature was 22.02 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
22.02
Change on year
down 3.4%
World rank
102nd
of 193 countries
All-time high
22.8
in 2024
All-time low
20.7
in 1974
Years of data
86
1940–2025
Average annual surface temperature in Zambia, 1940–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 22.02 for average annual surface temperature in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.4% on the previous year and down 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average annual surface temperature in Zambia peaked at 22.8 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 20.7, in 1974.
Zambia ranks 102nd of 193 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 86 years of available data.
Average annual surface temperature in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | 20.96 | — |
| 1941 | 21.92 | +4.6% |
| 1942 | 21.54 | -1.7% |
| 1943 | 21.5 | -0.2% |
| 1944 | 21.61 | +0.5% |
| 1945 | 21.48 | -0.6% |
| 1946 | 21.25 | -1.1% |
| 1947 | 21.31 | +0.3% |
| 1948 | 21.21 | -0.4% |
| 1949 | 21.67 | +2.1% |
| 1950 | 20.9 | -3.5% |
| 1951 | 21.99 | +5.2% |
| 1952 | 21.66 | -1.5% |
| 1953 | 20.86 | -3.7% |
| 1954 | 22.13 | +6.1% |
| 1955 | 20.88 | -5.7% |
| 1956 | 20.81 | -0.3% |
| 1957 | 21.15 | +1.6% |
| 1958 | 21.11 | -0.2% |
| 1959 | 21.18 | +0.3% |
| 1960 | 21.12 | -0.3% |
| 1961 | 21 | -0.6% |
| 1962 | 21.31 | +1.5% |
| 1963 | 21.19 | -0.6% |
| 1964 | 21.31 | +0.6% |
| 1965 | 21.18 | -0.6% |
| 1966 | 21.74 | +2.7% |
| 1967 | 21.32 | -1.9% |
| 1968 | 21.39 | +0.3% |
| 1969 | 21.29 | -0.4% |
| 1970 | 21.53 | +1.1% |
| 1971 | 21.14 | -1.8% |
| 1972 | 21.23 | +0.4% |
| 1973 | 21.56 | +1.6% |
| 1974 | 20.7 | -4.0% |
| 1975 | 21.09 | +1.9% |
| 1976 | 20.7 | -1.9% |
| 1977 | 21.65 | +4.6% |
| 1978 | 21.14 | -2.4% |
| 1979 | 21.05 | -0.4% |
| 1980 | 21.42 | +1.7% |
| 1981 | 21.35 | -0.3% |
| 1982 | 21.48 | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 22.3 | +3.8% |
| 1984 | 21.63 | -3.0% |
| 1985 | 21.23 | -1.8% |
| 1986 | 21.1 | -0.6% |
| 1987 | 22.37 | +6.0% |
| 1988 | 21.83 | -2.4% |
| 1989 | 21.47 | -1.7% |
| 1990 | 21.94 | +2.2% |
| 1991 | 21.65 | -1.3% |
| 1992 | 22.25 | +2.7% |
| 1993 | 21.7 | -2.5% |
| 1994 | 21.87 | +0.8% |
| 1995 | 22.48 | +2.8% |
| 1996 | 22.13 | -1.6% |
| 1997 | 21.96 | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 22.45 | +2.2% |
| 1999 | 21.71 | -3.3% |
| 2000 | 21.7 | -0.0% |
| 2001 | 21.73 | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 22.07 | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 21.98 | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 21.64 | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 22.59 | +4.4% |
| 2006 | 21.72 | -3.8% |
| 2007 | 21.86 | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 21.6 | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 21.63 | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 22.09 | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 21.74 | -1.6% |
| 2012 | 21.92 | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 22.22 | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 22.28 | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 22.37 | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 22.5 | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 21.99 | -2.3% |
| 2018 | 22.3 | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 22.62 | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 22.17 | -2.0% |
| 2021 | 22.13 | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 21.92 | -0.9% |
| 2023 | 22.73 | +3.7% |
| 2024 | 22.8 | +0.3% |
| 2025 | 22.02 | -3.4% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 22.02 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 24.33, 91% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 22.02 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 25.65, 86% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 21.45 | 20.96 | 21.92 | 10 |
| 1950s | 21.27 | 20.81 | 22.13 | 10 |
| 1960s | 21.28 | 21 | 21.74 | 10 |
| 1970s | 21.18 | 20.7 | 21.65 | 10 |
| 1980s | 21.62 | 21.1 | 22.37 | 10 |
| 1990s | 22.01 | 21.65 | 22.48 | 10 |
| 2000s | 21.85 | 21.6 | 22.59 | 10 |
| 2010s | 22.2 | 21.74 | 22.62 | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.3 | 21.92 | 22.8 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More reference data data for Zambia
- Spring temperature anomalies -0.0386 (2026)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.0941 (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies -0.018 (2026)
- Country level monthly temperature anomalies 0.3261 (2026)
- Exchange rate, new LCU per USD extended backward, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Exchange rate, old LCU per USD extended forward, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Official exchange rate, LCU per USD, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Urban area long term, annual growth rate 3.69 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban area long term, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban area long term, per capita 0.0001 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average annual surface temperature in Zambia?
- Average annual surface temperature in Zambia was 22.02 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest average annual surface temperature recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 22.8 in 2024.
- What is the lowest average annual surface temperature recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.7 in 1974.
- How does Zambia rank for average annual surface temperature?
- Zambia ranks 102nd out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is average annual surface temperature rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Average annual surface temperature. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 86 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).