ZamStats Releases March 2025 Statistical Highlights

The Zambia Statistics Agency (ZamStats) held its Monthly Bulletin Dissemination for the month of March 2025, disseminated by the Acting Statistician General, Mrs. Sheila. S. Mudenda.

Mrs. Sheila. S. Mudenda revealed that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) estimates for the Fourth quarter of 2024 shows that the economy has grown by 8.6 percent from 7.8 percent in the Fourth quarter of 2023. She added that there has been a slowdown in the annual inflation for March 2025 to 16.5 percent from 16.8 percent last month

The Acting Statistician General highlighted that the Gross Domestic Product at current prices in the fourth quarter of 2024 was estimated at K192, 987 million compared to K155, 911 million recorded in the same quarter of 2023. She also disclosed that at Industry level, Wholesale & Retail Trade had the highest share at 19.4 percent, followed by Mining & quarrying at 19.1 percent.  The water supply and Arts, Entertainment Recreation activities had the lowest shares of GDP 0.2 percent.

She further revealed that Food inflation decreased to 18.9 percent from 20.6 percent in February 2024, attributed to price movements in prices of food items such as bread, cereals (Breakfast Mealie Meal, Roller Mealie Meal, Maize grain, Samp) and Vegetables. Non-food inflation for March 2025 increased to 13.2 percent from 11.7 percent in February 2025, mainly due to price movements in prices of non-food items such as Purchase of motor vehicles, fuels and lubricants (Diesel and Petrol), passenger transport by road, as well as charcoal and hammer milling.

On Provincial Inflation, Acting SG revealed that Central province recorded the highest annual inflation rate at 18.8 percent, whereas Eastern province recorded the lowest at 13.4 in March 2025. Annual inflation rate for Lusaka province remained the same at 17.2 percent in March 2025 as at recorded  in February 2025 .

On the International Merchandise front, Total Trade for February 2025 was recorded at K102.6 billion , an increase  from K79.9 billion  recorded in the same period in 2024,representing a 28.4 percent increase. Mrs. Mudenda highlighted that the country recorded a trade deficit of K0.6 billion February 2025 compared to a deficit of K0.3 billion recorded in January 2024. Both imports and exports recorded a decrease by 3.1% from 26.3 billion in January 2025 to K25.4 billion in February 2025, and by 4.2% from K26.0 billion in January 2025 to K24.9 billion in February 2025, respectively.