Banking & Finance
Zambia Inflation Rate 2026: What the Numbers Actually Show
Zambia's inflation fell to 6.5% in June 2026, back inside the Bank of Zambia target band. What drove it, which parts are temporary, and what it means for…
The Zambian Economist
The in-house analysis desk of The Zambian Economist, an independent publication based in Lusaka covering the Zambian economy, public finance, banking, mining, agriculture and governance. Every figure we publish is attributed to a named primary source and dated, and forecasts are labelled as forecasts. We analyse policies rather than personalities. Our approach is set out in our Editorial Standards and Corrections Policy. Contact: info@zambianeconomist.com.
Agriculture & Mining
Copper and the Kwacha: How the Link Actually Works
Copper sets the kwacha, and the kwacha sets almost everything else in Zambia. The full chain explained - production, price, currency, inflation and your borrowing costs.
Business & Economy
Zambia’s Economy in 2026: A Business Guide to the Numbers That Matter
Inflation, the kwacha, copper, interest rates, power and public debt - a plain-English guide to the numbers shaping Zambia in 2026 and what each one means for business.
Business & Economy
What the Next Government Inherits: Zambia’s Economic Position on 14 August 2026
Debt restructured to 94 per cent of perimeter, inflation at an eight-year low, and record harvests - set against a primary surplus falling by two-thirds and no successor…
Business & Economy
Beyond Copper: How Economic Diplomacy Can Drive Zambia Economic Diversification and Sustainable Development
Much of what Zambia counts as diversification is unprocessed minerals under another name. What the numbers actually show, and where diplomacy converts into diversified exports.
Business & Economy
Repositioning Zambia in the Global Economy: The Strategic Role of Economic Diplomacy in Trade, Investment and Growth
Rail carries 0.4 percent of Zambia export value. That single number frames the country strategic position better than any foreign policy statement.
Business & Economy
Economic Diplomacy as a Catalyst for Zambia Economic Transformation: Opportunities, Challenges and the Way Forward
Zambia does not have an access problem. It has a conversion problem. What economic diplomacy is, what machinery Zambia has, and the five reforms that would make it…
Business & Economy
Balancing Politics and Fiscal Discipline: The Economic Cost of Populism and the Value of Long-Term Policy Planning
A K26.3 billion supplementary budget, softer demand for government paper and a rate cut, all within three weeks. What Zambia’s 2026 fiscal data reveals about the price of…