LUSAKA, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Zambia's gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 4.5 percent in the first quarter of 2025, representing a 2.3 percentage point increase compared to the same period last year, the country's statistics agency said on Thursday.
According to the Zambia Statistics Agency, the growth was driven by strong performance in agriculture, forestry and fishing; mining and quarrying; information and communication; and accommodation and food services.
Sheila Mudenda, the acting statistician-general, said the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector recorded the highest growth at 74.4 percent, followed by accommodation and food services, at 27.6 percent.
She told a monthly press briefing that mining and quarrying contributed 16.5 percent to the overall GDP growth, while the information and communication sector contributed 16.2 percent.
However, Mudenda said, electricity generation, water supply, and wholesale and retail trade recorded negative growth during the quarter.
Zambia's year-on-year inflation for June eased to 14.1 percent, down from 15.3 percent in May, driven by a slowdown in prices of both food and non-food items. ■
