World Bank

WORLD BANK IN ZAMBIA KEY FIGURES

The World Bank’s active portfolio in Zambia comprised 24 national projects, one trust fund and five regional projects with a total commitment of USD 3.2 billion as of September 2025, spanning agriculture, education, energy, environment, finance, governance, health, macroeconomics, social protection, transport and water.

The Bank’s July 2025 Zambia Economic Update projected 5.8% growth for 2025 and an average of 6.5% for 2026-27, with a special focus on energy transition minerals positioning copper, cobalt and other critical minerals as a platform for Zambia’s economic transformation.

Active Portfolio in Zambia

The World Bank’s portfolio in Zambia comprised 24 national projects, one trust fund and five regional projects with a total commitment of USD 3.2 billion as of September 2025^[1]. The portfolio covers agriculture, education, energy, environment, finance and private sector, governance, health, macroeconomics, social protection, transport and water^[1]. Financing runs primarily through the International Development Association, the World Bank’s fund for low-income countries, which provides concessional loans and grants^[1].

Zambia Economic Update

The World Bank’s July 2025 Zambia Economic Update projected 5.8% growth for 2025 and an average of 6.5% for 2026-27, attributing part of the 2025 expansion to base effects as the economy recovered from the 2024 drought^[2]. The report set out four priorities to sustain growth: completing the transition to a fully e-voucher-based agricultural input support system alongside greater private sector-led agricultural financing to lift productivity; increasing competition in the energy sector to raise productivity; strengthening revenue administration to close tax collection gaps; and maintaining a tight monetary policy stance to anchor inflation expectations^[2].

Energy Transition Minerals

The report’s special topic covered energy transition minerals, the metals such as copper and cobalt used in batteries and renewable energy technology, identifying three priorities for Zambia: scaling up production of these minerals, maximising their fiscal potential through stronger revenue management, and adding value domestically through further development of the copper value chain^[2]. This positions Zambia’s existing mineral endowment, covered in depth on the dedicated Mining page, as a platform for the country’s broader economic diversification rather than solely a source of raw commodity exports^[2].

Country Policy and Institutional Assessment

The World Bank’s 2025 Country Policy and Institutional Assessment, covering the period from January to December 2024, raised Zambia’s score from 3.24 to 3.28, driven by improvements in economic management^[3]. That score feeds into the composite indicator used in debt-carrying-capacity assessments; the improved CPIA raised Zambia’s composite indicator only marginally, to 2.59, still below the 2.69 threshold for a medium debt-carrying-capacity classification^[3].

Investment Opportunities

The World Bank’s own growth priorities, agricultural e-voucher financing, energy sector competition, revenue administration reform, and its energy transition minerals agenda of scaling production, capturing fiscal value and adding value domestically, mark out where the institution sees the clearest near-term returns to policy reform and investment in Zambia^[2]. The USD 3.2 billion active portfolio across eleven sectors also represents a direct pipeline of co-financing, procurement and implementation opportunities tied to specific, ongoing World Bank-financed projects^[1].

Last Update: September 2026

References

1. World Bank, Zambia Country Overview
2. World Bank, Zambia Economic Update: Leveraging Energy Transition Minerals for Economic Transformation, July 2025
3. International Monetary Fund, Zambia: Staff Report for the 2025 Article IV Consultation, Fifth Review Under the Extended Credit Facility Arrangement, and Financing Assurances Review, Supplementary Information, July 2025