• The minimal upward movement in the basket was due to price increases in the non-food items section.
• The total cost for the non-food section moved to K5, 748.40.
• The food section reduced by K9.46 to K3, 553.06 in June.

Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR) has disclosed that the cost of living for a family of five in Lusaka for the month of June, 2022 increased by K8.42 to K9, 301.46 from K9, 293.04 recorded in May 2022.
JCTR Social and Economic Development Programme Manager, Chama Mundia attributed the minimal upward movement in the basket to price increases in the non-food items section.
Mrs. Mundia stated that the total cost for the non-food section moved to K5, 748.40 from K5, 730.52 in May 2022 due to an increase in the price of two 90 Kilogram bags of charcoal which rose to K840.49 from K815.00 in May.
“The total cost for the non-food section moved to K5, 748.40 from K5, 730.52 in May 2022 due to an increase in the price of two 90Kg bags of charcoal which rose to K840.49 from K815.00 in May,” Mrs. Mundia stated.
She however said the food section reduced by K9.46 to K3, 553.06 in June as a result of the prices in items such as 16kg of bananas, 4kg of onion and 1kg kapenta.
Mrs. Mundia added that the June basic needs and nutrition basket yet again demonstrates the influence of seasonality on both the food and non-food sections of the basket.
“Interestingly, while an upward movement was recorded in the non-food section, the food section reduced by K9.46 to K3, 553.06 in June. The downward movement in the food items section is attributed to decreased prices in items such as 16kg of bananas which dropped to K223.44 from K239.23, a K15.79 decrease, 4kg of onion which dropped by K9.03 from K102.81 to 93.78, 1kg kapenta which went down by K8.05 from K268.11.”
“Other decreases were recorded in 10 liters of milk which dropped by K5.53 to K307.80 from K313.33 and 40kg of vegetables which dropped from K595.24 to K591.56. Nonetheless, the food items section recorded increases in items such as 14kg of other fruits which rose to K245 from K235.67, two 25kg bags of roller mealie meal also went up from K263.33 (131.76 per bag) to K266.75 (133.38 per bag) and 3.6 liters of cooking oil also increased by K3.54 from K191.04 to K194.58,” she said.
Mrs. Mundia further attributed the overall cost of living trends in the first half of 2022 to factors such as very late on-set of rains, increase in both international and local fuel prices, lifting of the temporal suspension of import duty on edible oils among others.
She noted that the prices of essential items such as mealie-meal and cooking oil have continued to be on the rise, although at a slow rate, on account of the increased cost of production in view of the higher price of diesel.
“The BNNB data reveals an increase in the price of 25kg mealie-mealie from January’s K110 to K133.38 in June, an increase of K23.38. The same was true with 3lts of cooking oil whose price was estimated at K166.63 in January and closed the first half of the year at K194.58, an increase of K27.95.”
Meanwhile, Mrs. Mundia revealed that Kasama district in Northern Province still remains the cheapest town to live in, with the cost of living standing at K4, 667, which is however an increase from K4, 569 recorded in January 2022.