Zambia Hydro Power: Generation, Share and Trend
Zambia generated 17.0 TWh of electricity from hydro in 2024, 86.2% of its total, according to Ember. That made it the 34th largest hydro power producer in 2024 of the 153 countries with Ember data, comparing each country's latest year. Hydro supplied 14.4% of the world's electricity in 2024. These are annual statistics for 2024; they are compiled from national sources and are not real time.
Key Facts
- Zambia generated 17.0 TWh of electricity from hydro in 2024.
- Hydro supplied 86.2% of Zambia's electricity in 2024.
- Zambia was the 34th largest hydro power producer in 2024 among the 153 countries with Ember data, comparing each country's latest year.
- Zambia's hydro generation in 2024 was 38% higher than in 2019, when it was 12.3 TWh.
- Zambia's hydro generation in 2024 was 21% higher than in 2014, when it was 14.0 TWh.
- Zambia's hydro generation peaked at 17.1 TWh in 2022.
- Zambia's hydro share in 2024 was above the world share of 14.4%.
- Zambia had 3.17 GW of hydro generating capacity in 2024.
Key Figures, 2024
| Measure | Value | As of / source |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro generation | 17.0 TWh | 2024 · Ember |
| Share of Zambia's electricity | 86.2% | 2024 · Ember |
| World share of hydro | 14.4% | 2024 · Ember |
| Rank by hydro generation (each country's latest year) | 34 of 153 | 2024 · Ember |
| Hydro capacity | 3.17 GW | 2024 · Ember |
Hydro Generation Year by Year
Ember annual statistics, 2000 to 2024Annual statistics through 2024, TWh
| Year | Hydro |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 7.67 TWh |
| 2001 | 7.89 TWh |
| 2002 | 8.10 TWh |
| 2003 | 8.26 TWh |
| 2004 | 8.46 TWh |
| 2005 | 8.88 TWh |
| 2006 | 9.67 TWh |
| 2007 | 9.63 TWh |
| 2008 | 9.52 TWh |
| 2009 | 9.88 TWh |
| 2010 | 10.4 TWh |
| 2011 | 11.5 TWh |
| 2012 | 12.4 TWh |
| 2013 | 13.3 TWh |
| 2014 | 14.0 TWh |
| 2015 | 13.0 TWh |
| 2016 | 11.0 TWh |
| 2017 | 12.5 TWh |
| 2018 | 13.7 TWh |
| 2019 | 12.3 TWh |
| 2020 | 12.8 TWh |
| 2021 | 16.1 TWh |
| 2022 | 17.1 TWh |
| 2023 | 17.1 TWh |
| 2024 | 17.0 TWh |
Annual statistics through 2024, % of generation
| Year | Zambia | World |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 99.5% | 17.2% |
| 2001 | 99.4% | 16.5% |
| 2002 | 99.3% | 16.3% |
| 2003 | 99.3% | 15.7% |
| 2004 | 99.4% | 16.1% |
| 2005 | 99.3% | 16.1% |
| 2006 | 99.9% | 16.0% |
| 2007 | 99.9% | 15.5% |
| 2008 | 99.9% | 16.1% |
| 2009 | 99.9% | 16.3% |
| 2010 | 99.9% | 16.1% |
| 2011 | 99.9% | 15.9% |
| 2012 | 99.8% | 16.3% |
| 2013 | 99.9% | 16.4% |
| 2014 | 96.7% | 16.3% |
| 2015 | 96.5% | 16.2% |
| 2016 | 93.6% | 16.3% |
| 2017 | 85.8% | 16.0% |
| 2018 | 84.2% | 15.8% |
| 2019 | 83.4% | 15.8% |
| 2020 | 84.0% | 16.3% |
| 2021 | 90.7% | 15.2% |
| 2022 | 87.8% | 15.0% |
| 2023 | 87.8% | 14.3% |
| 2024 | 86.2% | 14.4% |
| Year | Generation | Share | World share | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 17.0 TWh | 86.2% | 14.4% | 3.17 GW |
| 2023 | 17.1 TWh | 87.8% | 14.3% | 3.17 GW |
| 2022 | 17.1 TWh | 87.8% | 15.0% | 3.17 GW |
| 2021 | 16.1 TWh | 90.7% | 15.2% | 2.71 GW |
| 2020 | 12.8 TWh | 84.0% | 16.3% | 2.40 GW |
| 2019 | 12.3 TWh | 83.4% | 15.8% | 2.40 GW |
| 2018 | 13.7 TWh | 84.2% | 15.8% | 2.40 GW |
| 2017 | 12.5 TWh | 85.8% | 16.0% | 2.40 GW |
| 2016 | 11.0 TWh | 93.6% | 16.3% | 2.39 GW |
| 2015 | 13.0 TWh | 96.5% | 16.2% | 2.27 GW |
Full year by year history for Zambia
Source: Ember (ember-energy.org), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Data as of 2024. World shares are Ember's World totals; ranks compare each country's latest year, which can differ between countries.