At the just-ended public forum that delved into Zambia’s economic performance in 2024 and its prospects for 2025, #CSPR Executive Director Ms. Isabel Mukelabai has observed that, the incidence of poverty by Rural/Urban in Zambia stands at 60% as of 2022. The 2022 Living Conditions Monitoring Survey (LCMS) shows that 48% of the population were extremely poor with 78.8% in rural areas and 31.9% in urban areas.

She further observes that poverty headcount by province Between 2015 and 2022 increased for all provinces except Western and Northern Province. In Western Province, poverty headcount reduced from 73% of the population in 2015 to 61.6% in 2022. Northern Province experienced a decline as well had the largest decline in poverty headcount, from 67.6% in 2015 to 65.3% in 2022. This means that access to education, living conditions and health services have risen in this province while living conditions have also improved.

#CSPR believes economic growth is supposed to provide opportunities to facilitate human development and empowerment for citizens in the country. Through different interventions to irradicate poverty in Zambia, CSPR actively engages with policymakers and government officials to advocate for policies that promote poverty reduction and social justice.

Other key discussions centered on the country’s economic recovery, the impact of the IMF’s Extended Credit Facility, and the need for policy measures to promote sustainable growth. Participants emphasized the importance of diversifying the economy, investing in infrastructure, and addressing poverty and inequality. The forum also highlighted the ongoing debt restructuring process and the need for fiscal discipline to ensure long-term economic stability.

The meeting was organized by the Centre for Trade Policy and Development in partnership with Zambia Tax Platform with support from the Joint Country Program. The meeting was attended by Members of Parliament, Creative Artists in Zambia, Academicians and the youth.