By BUUMBA CHIMBULU
ZAMBIA’S annual inflation rate has continued to accelerate hitting a September rate of 12.0 percent at the back of price movements of selected food and non-food items.
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Zambia Statistical Agency (ZamStats) Statistician General, Mulenga Musepa, announced yesterday in Lusaka the speeding double digit inflation rate.
Mr Musepa told reporters that the annual inflation for September 2023, increased to 12.0 percent from 10.8 percent recorded in August 2023.
This means that on average, prices of goods and services increased by 12.0 percent between September 2022 and September 2023.
“The annual food inflation for September, 2023 was recorded at 13.4 percent compared to 12.6 percent the previous month.
“This meant on average prices of food items increased by 13.4 percent between September 2022 and September 2023,” Mr Musepa said.
Mr Musepa pointed out that the outturn was mainly attributable to price movements for cereals (breakfast and roller meal, bread flour, maize grain, rice), beef and chicken.
He said annual non-food inflation for September was recorded at 10.1 percent compared to 8.5 percent.
This development was mainly attributed to increases in prices of non-food items such purchase of motor vehicles, fuel and lubricants.
He said that of the overall 12.0 percent annual inflation, food and non-alcoholic beverages group contributed 7.7 percentage points, while non-food items accounted for 4.3 percentage points.
“Of the 4.3 percentage points, transport contributed the highest at 1.6 percentage points followed by housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels at 1.0 p percentage points, clothing and footwear, furniture, household equipment and routine household maintenance at 0.6 and 0.5 percentage points, respectively,” Musepa said.
He added that the rest of the non-food group accounted for the remaining 0.6 percentage points.
Mr Musepa indicated that Lusaka province contributed the highest at 3.9 percentage points to the overall annual inflation of 12.0 percent in September 2023.
Copperbelt and Central provinces contributed 2.2 and 1.2 percentage points, respectively.
He said Eastern and Southern provinces contributed 1.1 percentage points each, while North-western province had the lowest contribution of 0.4percentage points.
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