Annual Inflation drops to 7.5 percent
The Zambia Statistics has announced that the annual inflation for February 2026 has dropped by 1.9 percent, standing at 7.5 percent. Speaking during the February Monthly Bulletin at Zamstats headquarters, the Acting Statistician General, Mrs. Sheila S. Mudenda disclosed that on average, prices of goods and services increased by 7.5 percent between February 2025 and February 2026.
The ASG said that this development was attributed to price movements in both food and non-food items. Annual food inflation for February 2026 was recorded at 8.2 percent from 10.9 percent in January, and non- food items at 6.5 percent from 7.3 percent in January 2026. Food items included Cereals (Breakfast Mealie meal, Roller mealie meal, Maize grain, Rice imported, Wheat Plain Household Flour); fruit (Lemons, Bananas, Water Melon, Avocadoes); vegetables (Lumanda, Cassava leaves, Tomatoes, Cucumber, Sweet potatoes, green pepper); Fresh Milk and Cooking oil. Non-food items included fuel (Diesel, Petrol); passenger transport by air (Air Fare Domestic, Air Fare Regional); Purchase of motor vehicles and accommodation services.
Mrs. Mudenda added that the CPI main groups; Health and Communication indicated increases, with health increasing by 9.4 percent between February 2025 and February 2026 while communication increased by 4.8 percent between February 2025 and February 2026.
With regards the Provincial inflation, the ASG revealed that the annual inflation rate by province indicates that annual inflation declined across all provinces with Northern province recording the highest annual inflation rate at 9.2 percent while Luapula province recorded the lowest at 4.3 percent. Of the overall annual inflation rate of 7.5 percent, Lusaka Province accounted for the highest contribution at 2.5 percentage points, followed by Copperbelt Province at 1.4 percentage points.
Mrs. Mudenda further added that the overall monthly inflation rate for February 2026 was recorded at 0.6 percent compared with 0.5 percent recorded in January, 2025.
Furthermore, International Merchandise Trade, the ASG said that the country recorded a trade surplus of K4.7 billion in January 2026 compared to a surplus of K1.0 billion recorded in December 2025.
She added that exports mainly comprising domestically produced goods, decreased by 5.5 percent from K29.2 billion in December 2025 to K 27.6 billion in January 2026. This was mainly on account of decreases in export earnings from Intermediate goods by 3.6 percent, Consumer goods by 29.6, Raw materials by 5.1 percent and Capital goods by 7.5 percent.
www.zamstats.gov.zm.
