🇿🇲 Zambia National Debt Clock
Live tracker for Zambia government debt. The national debt currently stands at
approximately $17.0 billion, with no published growth-rate estimate. 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 108th of the 137 governments tracked here.
We do not currently publish a growth-rate estimate for Zambia, so its counter is held at the baseline figure. This reflects a gap in the underlying fiscal data, not an absence of borrowing. We go through every government in this position, and what is missing for each. 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 September 12, 2026, with no published growth-rate estimate. Its debt-to-GDP ratio is 91% and each citizen's share is about $872.
How fast is Zambia's debt growing?
We do not currently publish a growth-rate estimate for Zambia. The IMF April 2026 dataset has no usable projection for it, so rather than show a placeholder figure we hold the counter at the baseline and say so.
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
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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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