diff --git a/esmvalcore/preprocessor/_volume.py b/esmvalcore/preprocessor/_volume.py
index 3d04f23500..c59fe82936 100644
--- a/esmvalcore/preprocessor/_volume.py
+++ b/esmvalcore/preprocessor/_volume.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 from iris.cube import Cube
 
 from ._shared import (
+    broadcast_to_shape,
     get_iris_aggregator,
     get_normalized_cube,
     preserve_float_dtype,
@@ -152,6 +153,8 @@ def calculate_volume(cube: Cube) -> da.core.Array:
 
     # Calculate Z-direction thickness
     thickness = depth.core_bounds()[..., 1] - depth.core_bounds()[..., 0]
+    if cube.has_lazy_data():
+        thickness = da.array(thickness)
 
     # Get or calculate the horizontal areas of the cube
     has_cell_measure = bool(cube.cell_measures('cell_area'))
@@ -166,10 +169,11 @@ def calculate_volume(cube: Cube) -> da.core.Array:
     if not has_cell_measure:
         cube.remove_cell_measure('cell_area')
 
-    area_arr = iris.util.broadcast_to_shape(
-        area.core_data(), cube.shape, area_dim)
-    thickness_arr = iris.util.broadcast_to_shape(
-        thickness, cube.shape, z_dim)
+    chunks = cube.core_data().chunks if cube.has_lazy_data() else None
+    area_arr = broadcast_to_shape(
+        area.core_data(), cube.shape, area_dim, chunks=chunks)
+    thickness_arr = broadcast_to_shape(
+        thickness, cube.shape, z_dim, chunks=chunks)
     grid_volume = area_arr * thickness_arr
 
     return grid_volume
diff --git a/tests/unit/preprocessor/_volume/test_volume.py b/tests/unit/preprocessor/_volume/test_volume.py
index e962e062dd..f055d2f7b2 100644
--- a/tests/unit/preprocessor/_volume/test_volume.py
+++ b/tests/unit/preprocessor/_volume/test_volume.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 import unittest
 
+import dask.array as da
 import iris
 import iris.fileformats
 import numpy as np
@@ -118,6 +119,10 @@ def setUp(self):
             units='kg m-3',
         )
 
+        self.grid_4d_lazy = self.grid_4d.copy()
+        self.grid_4d_lazy.data = self.grid_4d_lazy.lazy_data().rechunk(
+            (1, 2, None, None))
+
         coords_spec4_sigma = [(time, 0), (scoord, 1), (lats2, 2), (lons2, 3)]
         self.grid_4d_sigma_space = iris.cube.Cube(
             data2,
@@ -442,6 +447,18 @@ def test_volume_nolevbounds(self):
         self.assertFalse(self.grid_4d.cell_measures('ocean_volume'))
         self.assertFalse(result.cell_measures('ocean_volume'))
 
+    def test_calculate_volume_lazy(self):
+        """Test that calculate_volume returns a lazy volume
+
+        The volume chunks should match those of the input cube for
+        computational efficiency.
+        """
+        chunks = self.grid_4d_lazy.core_data().chunks
+        volume = calculate_volume(self.grid_4d_lazy)
+        assert self.grid_4d_lazy.has_lazy_data()
+        assert isinstance(volume, da.Array)
+        assert volume.chunks == chunks
+
     def test_volume_statistics_cell_measure(self):
         """Test to take the volume weighted average of a (2,3,2,2) cube.
 
@@ -458,6 +475,23 @@ def test_volume_statistics_cell_measure(self):
         self.assert_array_equal(result.data, expected)
         self.assertEqual(result.units, 'kg m-3')
 
+    def test_volume_statistics_cell_measure_lazy(self):
+        """Test to take the volume weighted average of a lazy (2,3,2,2) cube.
+
+        The volume measure is pre-loaded in the cube.
+        """
+        grid_volume = calculate_volume(self.grid_4d_lazy)
+        measure = iris.coords.CellMeasure(grid_volume,
+                                          standard_name='ocean_volume',
+                                          units='m3',
+                                          measure='volume')
+        self.grid_4d_lazy.add_cell_measure(measure, range(0, measure.ndim))
+        result = volume_statistics(self.grid_4d_lazy, 'mean')
+        assert result.has_lazy_data()
+        expected = np.ma.array([1., 1.], mask=False)
+        self.assert_array_equal(result.data, expected)
+        self.assertEqual(result.units, 'kg m-3')
+
     def test_volume_statistics_long(self):
         """Test to take the volume weighted average of a (4,3,2,2) cube.