Annual precipitation in Zambia
Zambia: Annual precipitation was 1,120 millimeters in 2025. ▼ Falling
Annual precipitation in Zambia, 1940–2025
Source: Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in millimeters.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 1,120 millimeters for annual precipitation in 2025.
The figure is up 40.8% on the previous year and up 8.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual precipitation in Zambia peaked at 1,721 millimeters in 1957 and was at its lowest, 670.46 millimeters, in 1954.
Zambia ranks 78th of 192 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 86 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 1,156 millimeters | 965.87 millimeters | 1,436 millimeters | 10 |
| 1950s | 1,316 millimeters | 670.46 millimeters | 1,721 millimeters | 10 |
| 1960s | 1,150 millimeters | 919.57 millimeters | 1,416 millimeters | 10 |
| 1970s | 1,185 millimeters | 997.53 millimeters | 1,553 millimeters | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,096 millimeters | 941.93 millimeters | 1,242 millimeters | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,022 millimeters | 878.52 millimeters | 1,185 millimeters | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,095 millimeters | 852.69 millimeters | 1,192 millimeters | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,114 millimeters | 1,009 millimeters | 1,262 millimeters | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,110 millimeters | 795.21 millimeters | 1,299 millimeters | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 75 France 1,138 millimeters compare
- 76 Puerto Rico 1,133 millimeters compare
- 79 Mozambique 1,103 millimeters compare
- 80 Austria 1,079 millimeters compare
- 81 Angola 1,071 millimeters compare
More reference data data for Zambia
- Spring temperature anomalies -0.0386 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies -0.018 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.3261 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.5273 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies -0.2981 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 483.32 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual precipitation in Zambia?
- Annual precipitation in Zambia was 1,120 millimeters in 2025, according to Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual precipitation recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 1,721 millimeters in 1957.
- What is the lowest annual precipitation recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 670.46 millimeters in 1954.
- How does Zambia rank for annual precipitation?
- Zambia ranks 78th out of 192 countries with data for 2025.
- Is annual precipitation rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual precipitation. 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).
About this data
Total annual precipitation—rain and snow—calculated as the sum of daily averages, reported as the depth of water falling to Earth's surface, excluding fog and dew.