Interest rate spread in Zambia
Zambia: Interest rate spread 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 130th 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 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% |
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
- Net domestic credit (current LCU), per capita 7,869 current LCU per person (2025)
- Net domestic credit (current LCU), per unit of GDP 5.97 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Net domestic credit (current LCU), annual growth rate 13.4 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gold reserves at 35 SDRs per ounce 0 SDR (2020)
- Gold reserves at market value 0 SDR (2020)
- Reserves excluding gold, foreign exchange 1.08 billion SDR (2024)
- Reserves excluding gold 3.14 billion SDR (2024)
- Total reserves (gold at market value) 3.14 billion SDR (2024)
- Total reserves (gold at national valuation) 3.14 billion SDR (2024)
- Total reserves (gold at national valuation) (SDR), per capita 147.13 SDR per person (2024)
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 130th 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.