Interest rate spread (lending rate minus deposit rate, %) in Zambia
Zambia: Interest rate spread (lending rate minus deposit rate, %) was 0.8% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Interest rate spread in Zambia, 1978–2020
Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in lending rate minus deposit rate, %.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 0.8% for interest rate spread in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 43 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 61.9% on the previous year and down 94.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, interest rate spread in Zambia peaked at 25.2% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 0.8%, in 2020.
Zambia ranks 129th of 141 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Interest rate spread (lending rate minus deposit rate, %) in Zambia, year by year
| Year | lending rate minus deposit rate, % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 2.0% | — |
| 1979 | 2.3% | +16.7% |
| 1980 | 2.5% | +7.1% |
| 1981 | 3.3% | +33.3% |
| 1982 | 3.5% | +5.0% |
| 1983 | 6.0% | +71.4% |
| 1984 | 6.8% | +13.9% |
| 1985 | 3.3% | -52.2% |
| 1986 | 9.7% | +195.3% |
| 1987 | 8.0% | -17.5% |
| 1988 | 7.0% | -12.7% |
| 1989 | 7.0% | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 9.4% | +36.0% |
| 1991 | 11.5% | +21.7% |
| 1992 | 6.1% | -47.2% |
| 1993 | 25.2% | +315.0% |
| 1994 | 24.4% | -3.0% |
| 1995 | 15.3% | -37.4% |
| 1996 | 11.7% | -23.8% |
| 1997 | 12.2% | +4.8% |
| 1998 | 18.7% | +53.2% |
| 1999 | 20.2% | +8.2% |
| 2000 | 18.6% | -8.4% |
| 2001 | 22.8% | +23.0% |
| 2002 | 21.9% | -4.2% |
| 2003 | 18.6% | -14.9% |
| 2004 | 19.2% | +3.2% |
| 2005 | 17.0% | -11.4% |
| 2006 | 12.8% | -24.6% |
| 2007 | 9.7% | -24.6% |
| 2008 | 12.5% | +29.3% |
| 2009 | 15.0% | +19.7% |
| 2010 | 13.5% | -9.7% |
| 2011 | 11.8% | -12.6% |
| 2012 | 5.2% | -56.4% |
| 2013 | 3.0% | -41.2% |
| 2014 | 3.7% | +22.0% |
| 2015 | 4.3% | +15.1% |
| 2016 | 4.7% | +10.8% |
| 2017 | 3.5% | -26.0% |
| 2018 | 3.0% | -14.2% |
| 2019 | 2.0% | -33.0% |
| 2020 | 0.8% | -61.9% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 0.8% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6.3%, 12% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 0.8% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 6.2%, 12% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Interest rate spread (lending rate minus deposit rate, %) in Zambia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | +315.0% | 6.1% | 25.2% |
| 1986 | +195.3% | 3.3% | 9.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.2% | 2.0% | 2.3% | 2 |
| 1980s | 5.7% | 2.5% | 9.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 15.5% | 6.1% | 25.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 16.8% | 9.7% | 22.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.5% | 2.0% | 13.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.8% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More financial sector data for Zambia
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per capita 0.0011 units per person (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per capita 0.0008 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per capita 0.0011 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, SDR, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is interest rate spread in Zambia?
- Interest rate spread in Zambia was 0.8% in 2020, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest interest rate spread recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 25.2% in 1993.
- What is the lowest interest rate spread recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.8% in 2020.
- How does Zambia rank for interest rate spread?
- Zambia ranks 129th out of 141 countries with data for 2020.
- Is interest rate spread rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 94.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Interest rate spread (lending rate minus deposit rate, %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Interest rate spread is the interest rate charged by banks on loans to private sector customers minus the interest rate paid by commercial or similar banks for demand, time, or savings deposits. The terms and conditions attached to these rates differ by country, however, limiting their comparability.