Zambia: Diversifying FDI
Investors look to Zambia due to its positive economic atmosphere.
Zambia GDP and Economic Data
Browse additional economic indicators and data sets, selected by Global Finance editors, to learn more about Zambia's economic outlook, debt to GDP ratio, international trade performance and population trends.
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International Reserves
USD 1.6 billion (2018)
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Gross Domestic Product - GDP
USD 25.2 billion (2018, estimate)
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
Intl$ 72.9 billion (2018, estimate)
Real GDP growth
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017* | 2018* |
| 4.7% | 2.9% | 3.8% | 3.4% | 3.5% |
*Estimate
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GDP - composition by sector
- agriculture: 2.6%
- industry: 36.3%
- services: 54.1%
(2019 estimate)
Inflation
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018* | 2019* |
| 10.1% | 17.9% | 6.6% | 7% | 10% |
*Estimate
Unemployment rate
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018* | 2019* |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
*Estimate
Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018* | 2019* |
| 62.3% | 60.7% | 61.9% | 78.1% | 91.6% |
*Estimate
Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018* | 2019* |
| -9.5% | -6.1% | -7.7% | -8.3% | -4.8% |
*Estimate
Government bond ratings
Standard & Poor's: CCC+
Moody's: Caa2
Standard & Poor's / Moody's (Updated January 2017)
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Current account balance by percentage of GDP
-2.6% (2018 estimate)
Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services)
37.4% (2018)
Shares in world total merchandising export
0.05% (2018)
Shares in world total commercial services export
0.02% (2018)
Export commodities
Copper/cobalt, cobalt, electricity; tobacco, flowers, cotton
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Import commodities
Machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, electricity, fertilizer, foodstuffs, clothing
Exports - major partners
Switzerland 44.8%, China 16.1%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 6.2%, Singapore 6%, South Africa 5.9% (2017)
Imports - major partners
South Africa 28.2%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 20.8%, China 12.9%, Kuwait 5.4%, UAE 4.6% (2017)
FDI inflows
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
| USD 663 million | USD 1,108 million | USD 569 million |
FDI outflows
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
| USD 177 million | USD -77 million | USD 32 million |
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014
N/A
(for a monthly update on M&A; click here )
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015
N/A
(for a monthly update on M&A; click here )
Best countries for doing business
Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.
Overall ranking: 85 out of 190 countries (2019)
Subcategories:
Starting a business: 117 out of 190 countries
Dealing with Construction Permits: 67 out of 190 countries
Getting Electricity: 129 out of 190 countries
Registering Property: 149 out of 190 countries
Getting Credit: 4 out of 190 countries
Protecting Minority Investors: 72 out of 190 countries
Paying Taxes: 17 out of 190 countries
Trading across Borders: 155 out of 190 countries
Enforcing Contracts: 130 out of 190 countries
Resolving Insolvency: 79 out of 190 countries
Source
Global competitiveness ranking
120 out of 141 countries
(2019)
Index of Economic Freedom
Ranking: 138 / Score: 53.6 (Mostly unfree) (2016)
(100=totally free 0=totally repressed)
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Languages
Bemba 33.4%, Nyanja 14.7%, Tonga 11.4%, Lozi 5.5%, Chewa 4.5%, Nsenga 2.9%, Tumbuka 2.5%, Lunda (North Western) 1.9%, Kaonde 1.8%, Lala 1.8%, Lamba 1.8%, English (official) 1.7%, Luvale 1.5%, Mambwe 1.3%, Namwanga 1.2%, Lenje 1.1%, Bisa 1%, other 9.7%
Religions
Protestant 75.3%, Roman Catholic 20.2%, other 2.7% (includes Muslim Buddhist, Hindu, and Baha'i), none 1.8% (2010 est.)
Total population
| 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2015 | 2020* |
| 8.01 million | 10.59million | 13.9 million | 16.2 million | 18.88 million |
*Estimate
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Urban population as % of total population
| 1960 | 1980 | 2000 | 2018 |
| 18.1% | 39.8% | 34.8% | 43.5% |
Literacy
Total population: 63.4%
Male: 70.9%
Female: 56% (2015 est.)
(age 15 and over can read and write English)
% of population living on less than $3.20 a day
74.3% (2015)
Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)
57.1 (2015)
(0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality)
Source
Freedom House rating
Partly Free
Political Rights: 5
Civil Liberties: 5 (2019)
(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)
Source
Total telephone subscribers as % of population
Fixed 0.6% Mobile 89.2% (2015)
(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)