Browse additional economic indicators and data sets

Zambia

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. 

Basic Information

Government Type: Presidential republic

Capital City: Lusaka

GDP & Economic Information

Macroeconomy & Sovereign Data

Central Bank Bank of Zambia
Currency Zambian kwacha (ZMK)

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)

GDP Data

Real GDP growth 2014: 4.7%
2015: 2.9%
2016: 3.8%
2017: 3.4% (Estimate)
2018: 3.5% (Estimate)
GDP per capita – current prices USD 1,416.7 (2018, estimate)
GDP per capita – PPP Intl$ 4,103.5 (2018, estimate)
GDP (PPP) – share of world total 0.05% (2019, estimate)

GDP – composition by sector agriculture: 2.6%
industry: 36.3%
services: 54.1%
(2019 estimate)
Gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (% of GDP) N/A
Inflation 2015: 10.1%
2016: 17.9%
2017: 6.6%
2018: 7% (Estimate)
2019: 10% (Estimate)

Inflation & Debt

Inflation 2015: 10.1%
2016: 17.9%
2017: 6.6%
2018: 7% (Estimate)
2019: 10% (Estimate)
Government Bond Ratings
Standard & Poor’s: CCC+

Moody’s: Caa2

Standard & Poor’s / Moody’s (Updated January 2017)
Unemployment rate 2015: N/A
2016: N/A
2017: N/A
2018: N/A (Estimate)
2019: N/A (Estimate)
Household saving rates N/A
Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP) 2015: 62.3%
2016: 60.7%
2017: 61.9%
2018: 78.1% (Estimate)
2019: 91.6% (Estimate)
Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP) 2015: -9.5%
2016: -6.1%
2017: -7.7%
2018: -8.3% (Estimate)
2019: -4.8% (Estimate)
Market value of publicly traded shares N/A
Largest Companies N/A

Import/Export

Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services) 5.9% (2017)

Shares in world total merchandising export 0.004% (2018)

Shares in world total commercial services export 0.008% (2018)

Total exports USD 1.6 billion (2018 estimate)

Export commodities Opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems, and medical herbs

Total imports USD 8.3 billion (2018 estimate)

Import commodities Machinery and other capital goods, food, textiles, petroleum products

Exports – major partners India 56.5%, Pakistan 29.6% (2017)

Imports – major partners China 21%, Iran 20.5%, Pakistan 11.8%, Kazakhstan 11%, Uzbekistan 6.8%, Malaysia 5.3%(2017)

Competitiveness & Trade

Current account balance USD -0.7 billion (2018 estimate)

Current account balance by percentage of GDP -2.6% (2018 estimate)

FDI inflows 2016: USD 663 million
2017: USD 1,108 million
2018: USD 569 million
FDI Outflows 2016: USD 177 million
2017: USD -77 million
2018: USD 32 million
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser N/A


United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) – World Investment Report
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014 N/A
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015 N/A
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
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)

Population & Geographic Data

Time Zone UTC+2

Total Area 752,618 sq km

Total Population
1990: 8.01 million
2000: 10.59 million
2010: 13.9 million
2015: 16.2 million
2020: 18.88 million (Estimate)
Urban population as % of total population 1960: 18.1%
1980: 39.8%
2000: 34.8%
2018: 43.5%
Population median age 16.8 years (2018 estimate)

Population growth rate 2.91% (2018 estimate)

Life expectancy 53 years (2018 estimate)

% of population living on less than $3.10 a day 74.3% (2015)

Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)
57.1 (2015)

(0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality)
Freedom House rating Partly Free
Political Rights: 5
Civil Liberties: 5 (2019)
(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)
Total telephone subscribers as % of population
Fixed 0.6% Mobile 89.2% (2015)
(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)
Internet users as % of total population 14.3% (2018)

Language & Religon

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%

Literacy
Total population: 63.4%
Male: 70.9%
Female: 56% (2015 est.)

(age 15 and over can read and write English)
Religions Protestant 75.3%, Roman Catholic 20.2%, other 2.7% (includes Muslim Buddhist, Hindu, and Baha’i), none 1.8% (2010 est.)

World Rankings

Population 18.88 M
Mercer Cost of living index Lusaka: 200th (2016)

C02 Emissions per capita 0.29 (2014)

Global Finance Rankings & Awards: Albania

Global Finance Magazine holds several conferences and awards ceremonies throughout the year to recognize the winning financial institutions and companies in a host of categories including World’s Best Trade Finance Banks, World's Biggest Banks, World's Safest Banks, World's Best Developed & Emerging Markets Banks, World's Best Internet Banks, and World’s Best Investment Banks.


Data Sources

CIA Factbook

Data Sources:

IMF World Economic Outlook

UN World Population Prospects

World Inequality Report

S&P Global Ratings

Moody’s

Fitch Ratings

IMF Direction of Trade Statistics (DOTS)

UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

CIA The World Factbook

World Bank’s World Integrated Trade Solution

Forbes Global 2000

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