🇿🇲 Zambia National Debt Clock
Live tracker for Zambia government debt. The national debt currently stands at
approximately $17.0 billion, growing at $0 every second based on IMF fiscal
deficit projections. Debt-to-GDP: 91%. Per-citizen share: $872.
IMF ECF 6th review (Jan 2026): debt fell to ~91% of GDP post-restructuring, first sub-100% reading in 7 years
About Zambia's National Debt
Zambia became the first pandemic-era sovereign default in 2020 and spent years restructuring under the G20 Common Framework; its copper-dependent finances remain sensitive to metal prices.
Zambia's debt-to-GDP ratio of 91% exceeds the IMF's 90% threshold associated with potential growth drag. Stabilising it would require sustained primary surpluses — spending less than tax revenue before interest. By total government debt, Zambia ranks 100th of the 138 governments tracked here.
Zambia carries no net new borrowing at this rate, reflecting a budget surplus or a debt-reduction programme. Each of Zambia's 20 million citizens carries an individual share of approximately $872. That is below the world average of roughly $12,600 in government debt per person.
Figures are computed by Global Debt Clock using linear extrapolation from IMF general government gross debt baselines (Fiscal Monitor / WEO April 2026) and national treasury data. Actual debt changes through discrete bond issuances — these counters illustrate the approximate scale and pace of sovereign borrowing.
Zambia National Debt — Frequently Asked Questions
What is Zambia's national debt right now?
Zambia's national debt is approximately $17.0 billion as of July 29, 2026, growing at $0 per second. Its debt-to-GDP ratio is 91% and each citizen's share is about $872.
How fast is Zambia's debt growing?
Zambia's government debt grows at approximately $0 per second — about $0.0 billion per day — derived from IMF fiscal-deficit projections anchored to the April 2026 baseline.
What is Zambia's debt per capita?
Each of Zambia's 20 million citizens carries a notional share of approximately $872 of the national debt.
What is Zambia's debt-to-GDP ratio?
Zambia's debt-to-GDP ratio is 91%. This sits above the IMF's 90% threshold associated with potential growth drag.
Why is Zambia's government debt at this level?
Zambia became the first pandemic-era sovereign default in 2020 and spent years restructuring under the G20 Common Framework; its copper-dependent finances remain sensitive to metal prices.
Compare Zambia vs another country
Live side-by-side debt comparisons — shareable cards for journalists and social.
Further reading
Other Africa countries
Data & Citation
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook · World Bank International Debt Statistics · baseline anchored .
Methodology: debt = 17,000,000,000 + 0 × seconds_since(2026-04-01)
Machine-readable data: /api/debt?c=zm (live JSON) · /data/debt.json (full dataset)
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