ZAMBIA’s annual inflation rate slowed to 6.6% in May, down from 6.8% in April, the Zambia Statistics Agency said Thursday.

Statistician-General Sheila Mudenda said the decline was driven mainly by lower prices for breakfast mealie meal, roller mealie meal, maize grain and imported rice. Food inflation eased to 6.9% in May from 7.3% the previous month.

“Annual inflation for May 2026 was recorded at 6.6% from 6.8% recorded in April 2026,” Mudenda said at a press briefing in Lusaka. “This means that, on average, prices of goods and services increased by 6.6% between May 2025 and May 2026.”

Non-food inflation rose slightly to 6.1% in May from 6.0% in April, pushed up by higher prices for pharmaceutical products, fuels and lubricants including diesel, paraffin, engine oil and brake fluids.

Mudenda said ZamStats had not yet assessed the impact of the slower inflation rate on households.

(Mwebantu, Friday, 29th May, 2026)