Current account balance in Zambia
Zambia: Current account balance was -4.4% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Current account balance in Zambia, 1978–2024
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2024, current account balance in Zambia stood at -4.4%.
That represents a change of down 45.2% on the previous year and down 209.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, current account balance in Zambia peaked at 11.9% in 2021 and was at its lowest, -20.9%, in 1986.
Zambia ranks 143rd of 200 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Current account balance in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | -10.0% | — |
| 1979 | 2.3% | -123.3% |
| 1980 | -13.3% | -671.4% |
| 1981 | -18.0% | +35.3% |
| 1982 | -14.5% | -19.5% |
| 1983 | -7.9% | -45.3% |
| 1984 | -5.4% | -31.9% |
| 1985 | -17.5% | +225.6% |
| 1986 | -20.9% | +19.0% |
| 1987 | -10.8% | -48.2% |
| 1988 | -7.9% | -27.4% |
| 1989 | -5.5% | -30.4% |
| 1990 | -18.1% | +230.3% |
| 1991 | -9.1% | -49.9% |
| 1997 | -4.2% | -53.3% |
| 1998 | -16.1% | +281.2% |
| 1999 | -11.4% | -29.6% |
| 2000 | -18.4% | +62.1% |
| 2001 | -18.0% | -2.2% |
| 2002 | -15.8% | -12.1% |
| 2003 | -13.5% | -14.4% |
| 2004 | -7.1% | -47.2% |
| 2005 | -2.8% | -61.0% |
| 2006 | 4.6% | -266.8% |
| 2007 | -1.2% | -126.7% |
| 2008 | -3.3% | +169.0% |
| 2009 | 6.0% | -278.8% |
| 2010 | 7.5% | +26.4% |
| 2011 | 4.7% | -38.1% |
| 2012 | 5.4% | +15.5% |
| 2013 | -0.6% | -110.7% |
| 2014 | -1.4% | +147.8% |
| 2015 | -3.6% | +153.1% |
| 2016 | -4.6% | +26.0% |
| 2017 | -1.7% | -63.1% |
| 2018 | -1.3% | -22.6% |
| 2019 | 0.6% | -146.4% |
| 2020 | 11.8% | +1853.2% |
| 2021 | 11.9% | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 3.7% | -68.5% |
| 2023 | -3.0% | -181.0% |
| 2024 | -4.4% | +45.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | -3.8% | -10.0% | 2.3% | 2 |
| 1980s | -12.2% | -20.9% | -5.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | -11.8% | -18.1% | -4.2% | 5 |
| 2000s | -7.0% | -18.4% | 6.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.5% | -4.6% | 7.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.0% | -4.4% | 11.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 140 North Macedonia -4.3% compare
- 141 Mali -4.3% compare
- 142 Congo, Democratic Republic of the -4.3% compare
- 144 Côte d'Ivoire -4.5% compare
- 145 Serbia -4.9% compare
- 146 Barbados -5.1% compare
More economy & growth data for Zambia
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 2.31 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 4.92 Percent per annum (2029)
- External balance on goods and services (current US$), annual growth 97.55 % change on previous year (2024)
- External balance on goods and services (current LCU), annual growth 155.74 % change on previous year (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), annual 58.8 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), per 1.03 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), per 1,360 current LCU per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant 2015 US$) 51.13 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant 2015 US$) 0.0433 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant 2015 US$) 57.08 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is current account balance in Zambia?
- Current account balance in Zambia was -4.4% in 2024, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest current account balance recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 11.9% in 2021.
- What is the lowest current account balance recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was -20.9% in 1986.
- How does Zambia rank for current account balance?
- Zambia ranks 143rd out of 200 countries with data for 2024.
- Is current account balance rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 209.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Current account balance (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Balance of current transactions (transactions in goods and services, earned income and transfer income) between residents and non-residents. The term current account balance is used in the external accounts and is expressed from the perspective of resident units. The term current external balance is used in the national accounts and is expressed from the perspective of the non-resident units, and therefore with the opposite sign. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.