By Cecilia Chiluba/Zambia/Lusaka
Zambia’s annual inflation has continued to decelerate, with the overall rate declining to 7.5 percent in February 2026 from 9.4 percent recorded in January, bringing it within the Bank of Zambia target band faster than anticipated.
The decline places Zambia’s inflation within the Central Bank’s target range of 6–8 percent.
Zambia Statistics Agency (ZamStats) attributed the drop in February’s inflation figures to price movements in both food and non-food items, including mealie meal, imported rice and fuel, among others.
ZamStats Acting Statistician General Sheila Mudenda told journalists during a media briefing on Wednesday, that annual food inflation dropped to 8.2 percent from 10.9 percent in January 2026.
“This was mainly attributed to price movements in prices of food items such as breakfast and roller mealie meal, maize grain, imported rice, wheat plain household flour, lemons, bananas, water melon, avocados, vegetables including lumanda, cassava leaves, tomatoes, cucumber, sweet potatoes, and Green pepper, Fresh Milk and Cooking oil,” she said.
She noted that annual non-food inflation for February 2026 declined to 6.5 percent from 7.3 percent in January, mainly due to movements in prices of non-food items such as fuel, passenger air transport, purchase of motor vehicles and accommodation services.
The overall monthly inflation rate for February 2026 stood at 0.6 percent compared to 0.5 percent recorded in January 2026, driven by price movements in selected food items, while monthly food inflation for February, 2026 remained at 0.9 percent, the same as recorded in January 2026.
“The increase was mainly attributed to price movements of mealie meal, maize grain, local rice, Buka Buka fish, fresh Kapenta, dried Bream-medium sized-Opened, dried Mpulungu and Siavonga Kapenta, Meat products, and Eggs. Monthly non-food inflation for February 2026 was recorded at 0.0 percent, compared with -0.3 percent in January 2026,” Mrs. Mudenda noted.
Northern Province recorded the highest annual inflation rate at 9.2 percent, while Luapula Province posted the lowest at 4.3 percent.
