Policy monitor: Bank of Zambia takes its rate to 13.25% as the easing cycle advances

The Bank of Zambia's benchmark policy rate stands at 13.25%, following a cut of 25 basis points at its most recent adjustment. This briefing sets out the data behind the stance, drawn from CBAN's Zambia dataset.

Headline consumer price inflation is running at 6.5% year on year in the latest reading tracked by CBAN, down from 6.9% in the prior reading. That puts the real policy rate — the benchmark rate minus headline inflation — at roughly 6.8 percentage points, a restrictive setting by historical standards.

On the currency side, the Zambian kwacha trades near 21.5 per US dollar, up 16% since the start of the year. Gross official reserves stand at roughly $6.5 billion. Exchange-rate pass-through into consumer prices is one of the strongest inflation channels in most African economies, which is why these two indicators move together in policy deliberations.

The BoZ's statutory mandate: Achieve and maintain price and financial system stability to foster sustainable economic development.

The wider economy is growing at around 4.8% a year on the estimates CBAN tracks, with nominal output of about $29 billion. Growth, inflation and the exchange rate form the three-way trade-off every Monetary Policy Committee weighs.

The next scheduled monetary policy decision is 26 August 2026. CBAN tracks every African MPC date in the economic calendar, and this briefing is refreshed as new official data is released.