• Increase in annual inflation was mainly attributed to the base effect in food items.
• Overall monthly inflation for September 2022 was recorded at -0.4
• National average price of a 25 kg bag of Breakfast Mealie Meal decreased by 0.59 percent.

Annual inflation for September 2022 increased to 9.9 percent from 9.8 percent recorded in August, 2022, Zambia Statistics Agency (ZAMSTATS) revealed.

Speaking during the Monthly Dissemination media briefing in Lusaka, ZAMSTATS Interim Statistician General Mulenga Musepa said the increase in annual inflation was mainly attributed to the base effect in food items.
Mr. Musepa explained that this means that on average, prices of goods and services increased by 9.9 percent between September 2021 and September 2022.

He noted Annual food inflation for September 2022 was recorded at 12.1 percent from 11.3 percent in August 2022.

“This development was mainly attributed to price movements in food items such as Cereals (Breakfast mealie meal & Roller Mealie meal); Fish (Buka Buka, Dried Kapenta; Mpulungu & Chisense) and Vegetables (Rape, Cabbage, Chinese Cabbage, Pumpkin leaves), Mr. Musepa indicated.

According to him, the annual non-food inflation for September 2022 was recorded at 7.2 percent from 7.8 percent in August 2022, the outturn was mainly attributed to decreases in prices of non-food items such as Fuels & lubricants (Diesel, Petrol, and Engine oil), Purchase of Motor Vehicles and Air fare.

The Interim Statistician general indicated that of the overall 9.9 percent annual inflation, Food and Non-alcoholic beverages group contributed 6.8 percentage points, while Non-food items accounted for 3.1 percentage points.

He stated that of the 3.1 percentage points, Clothing and footwear, Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels and Transport contributed the highest at 0.7 percentage points each. Furnishing Household equipment and routine household maintenance groups contributed 0.4 percentage points.

“The rest of the Non-Food group accounted for the remaining 0.6 percentage points” said Mr. Musepa.

Further Mr. Mulenga Musepa added that a disaggregation of the annual inflation by province shows that the annual inflation during the month under review increased for Central at 7.1% from 6.8%, Copperbelt 11.7% from 11.0%, Lusaka 10.2% from 9.3%.

He however revealed that the annual inflation slowed down for Eastern 5.0% from 5.2%, Luapula 9.8% from 10.4%, Northern 11.5% from 13.1%, Southern 10.7% from 11.6 % and Western 10.9% from 11.5%.

“The provincial annual inflation rate remained unchanged for North-western at 12.7%,” he highlighted.

He indicated that on provincial contribution to overall inflation of 9.9 percent, Lusaka Province contributed the highest at 2.9 percentage points while Copperbelt Province contributed 2.4 percentage points.

However “Eastern, Luapula and Western provinces contributed 0.5 percentage points each, while North-western provinces had the lowest contribution of 0.4 percentage points.”

Meanwhile, he revealed that the overall monthly inflation for September 2022 was recorded at -0.4 percent compared with 0.3 percent the previous month, this outturn was mainly attributed to price decreases in both food and non-food items.

“Monthly food inflation for September 2022 was -0.2 percent, a decrease of 0.6 percentage points from 0.4 percent in August 2022. This development was mainly attributed to general price decreases for Cereals (Breakfast Mealie meal, Roller mealie meal, Maize grain, Rice), Sugar, Eggs and Cooking oil,” figures from ZamStats Show.

Monthly non-food inflation for September 2022 was recorded at -0.6 percent from 0.1 percent in August 2022.

According to Zamstats this outturn was mainly attributed to price decreases for Fuels & lubricants (Diesel, Petrol, and Engine oil), Purchase of Motor Vehicles and Air fares.

With National Average Prices for Selected Products, in September 2022, Zambia Statistic Agency Interim Statistician General Mulenga Musepa indicated that on a monthly basis retail prices between August 2022 and September 2022 showed that the national average price of a 25 kg bag of Breakfast Mealie Meal decreased by 0.59 percent from K162.12 to K161.16.

He further stated that, the price of a 25 kg bag of Roller Mealie Meal decreased by 0.65 percent to K134.21 from K135.09.

According in to Mr. Musepa, “the monthly national average price of a 20-litre tin of Maize Grain decreased by 1.18 percent from K72.84 to K71.98.”

“On an annual basis, retail prices between September 2021 and September 2022 showed that the national average price of a 25kg bag of Breakfast Mealie Meal increased by 15.61 percent from K139.40 to K161.16 while that of a 25 kg bag of Roller Mealie Meal increased by 25.27 percent from K 107.14 to K134.21,”he added.

He also pointed out that the annual national average price of a 20-litre tin of Maize Grain increased by 18.5 percent from K60.92 to K71.98.