By Derrick Silimina

The Zambia Statistics Agency says the annual inflation for January 2026 has sharply dropped to 9.4 percent from 11.2 percent recorded in December, 2025.

In a statement, ZamStats noted that this development was attributed to price movements in food and non- food items adding that annual food inflation for January 2026 was recorded at 10.9 percent compared to 12.9 percent in December 2025.

“This means that on average, prices of goods and services increased by 9.4 percent between January 2025 and January 2026. This development was attributed to price movements in food and non- food items,” said ZamStats Acting Statistician General Sheila Mudenda.

Mudenda noted that food items included Cereals (Breakfast Mealie meal, Roller mealie meal, Maize grain, Rice imported, Wheat Plain Household Flour); Fruits, Vegetables and Cooking oil among others.

On the annual non-food items, Mudenda further outlined that inflation for January 2026 was recorded at 7.3 percent compared to 8.7 percent in December 2025.

“This outturn was mainly attributed to price movements in prices of non-food items such as Fuel (Diesel, Petrol); Passenger transport by air (Air Fare Domestic, Air Fare Regional, Lusaka/London via Dubai); and Purchase of Motor Vehicles.”