By Cecilia Chiluba/Zambie/ Lusaka
Zambia’s economy experienced a sharp decline in the fourth quarter of 2025, with Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth falling to 1.6 % from 8.3% in the same period of 2024, representing a slowdown of 6.7 percentage points.
Zambia Statistics Agency (ZamStats) attributed the 1.6% growth to the performance of sectors including Agriculture, forestry & fishing and Construction which grew by 1.7%, Manufacturing 1.2%, as well as Transportation and Storage 0.9%.
However, the Agency reported that Information and Communication sector contributed negatively to this growth, at -2.5%, Wholesale and Retail Trade -1.5% as well as Financial and Insurance -0.3% and Mining and Quarrying -0.2%.
Addressing Journalists at a media briefing, ZamStats Statistician General, Sheila Mudenda noted that industry contributions to growth provide a relative measure of the importance of each sector in contributing to economic growth.
“The GDP at current prices in the fourth quarter of 2025 was estimated at K201,980 million compared to K184,201 million recorded in the same quarter of 2024,” she said.
Ms. Mudenda added that analysis at industry level shows that out of K201,980 million, the industries with the highest shares were, Wholesale & Retail Trade at 17.0% followed by Transportation and storage with 15.6%, Mining & quarrying 13.9%, and Construction 10.8% collectively accounting for 57.3 percent.
She further revealed that preliminary annual Gross Domestic Product at constant 2010 prices for 2025 show that economic activities grew by 3.8 percent.
Ms. Mudenda said the preliminary Annual GDP estimates are derived as the sum of the four quarters, the final GDP estimates for the year 2025 will be presented in the September 2026 monthly bulletin.
“The preliminary GDP estimates show that the economy grew by 3.8 percent in 2025, the same as in 2024, with the Agriculture, forestry & fishing industry having the highest positive contribution at 2.2 percent while the Wholesale and retail trade industry had the highest negative impact on GDP growth at -1.8 percent,” she reported.
She added that the preliminary GDP at current prices in 2025 was estimated at K725,641 million compared to K662,094 million in 2024.
“Of the total K725,641 million, the Wholesale & retail trade, Mining & quarrying, Transportation & storage, Construction and Manufacturing were the main contributors collectively accounting for 64.2 percent; while Water Supply and Arts and Entertainment had the lowest share of 0.2 percent,” Ms. Mudenda added.
