Zambia: Commercial banks and other lending (PPG + PNG) (NFL, current US$)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Zambia's commercial banks and other lending (PPG + PNG) (NFL, current US$) fell US$982.61 million on 2023 (from −US$153.9 million to −US$1.14 billion).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1980 to 2023), the average change was −US$2.61 million and a typical year strayed about US$1.3 billion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was US$4.35 billion in 2017 and the biggest yearly fall was US$3.43 billion in 2018. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is downward, about US$609.66 million a year. A straight line explains 45% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Zambia had the 81st highest value of the 87 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Zambia in the 2024 ranking

• Angola — 77th of 87: −US$924.98 million
• Lebanon — 78th of 87: −US$959.17 million
• Ghana — 79th of 87: −US$1.08 billion
• Peru — 81st of 87: −US$2.4 billion
• Papua New Guinea — 82nd of 87: −US$3.01 billion
• Türkiye — 83rd of 87: −US$3.65 billion

What this measures

Commercial bank and other lending includes net commercial bank lending (public and publicly guaranteed and private non- guaranteed) and other private credits. Data are in current U.S. dollars. Proposed: Commercial bank and other lending includes net commercial bank and other private creditors lending excluding bonds (public and publicly guaranteed + private nonguaranteed).

Limitations: Data on external debt are gathered through the World Bank's Debtor Reporting System (DRS). Long term debt data are compiled using the countries report on public and publicly guaranteed borrowing on a loan-by-loan basis and private non guaranteed borrowing on an aggregate basis. These data are supplemented by information from major multilateral banks and official lending agencies in major creditor countries. Short-term debt data are gathered from the Quarterly External Debt Statistics (QEDS) database, jointly developed by the World Bank and the IMF and from creditors through the reporting systems of the Bank for International Settlements.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 39 values

Commercial banks and other lending (PPG + PNG) (NFL, current US$) in nearby economies

• Angola — −US$924.98 million (2024)
• Benin — US$461.66 million (2024)
• Burkina Faso — US$131.21 million (2024)
• Cabo Verde — −US$22.14 million (2024)
• Cameroon — US$452.97 million (2024)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — −US$9.02 million (2024)
• Congo, Rep. — −US$404.91 million (2024)
• Côte d'Ivoire — US$233.35 million (2024)
• Eswatini

More economic policy & debt data for Zambia

• Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$) — US$1.19 billion (2025)
• Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU) — 29.79 billion (2025)
• Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (% of GDP) — 4.11% (2025)
• Manufacturing, value added (current US$) — US$2.53 billion (2025)
• Manufacturing, value added (current LCU) — 63.49 billion (2025)
• Manufacturing, value added (% of GDP) — 8.75% (2025)
• Industry, including construction, value added (current US$) — US$10.2 billion (2025)
• Industry, including construction, value added (current LCU) — 256.39 billion (2025)
• Industry, including construction, value added (% of GDP)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Zambia's commercial banks and other lending (PPG + PNG) (NFL, current US$)?

−US$1.14 billion in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1976?

It is down 3,377% from US$34.68 million in 1976. The highest value was US$7.32 billion in 2017 and the lowest −US$1.27 billion in 2021.

How does Zambia rank?

81st highest of 87 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in commercial banks and other lending (PPG + PNG) (NFL, current US$) unusual for Zambia?

In 2024, Zambia's commercial banks and other lending (PPG + PNG) (NFL, current US$) fell US$982.61 million on 2023 (from −US$153.9 million to −US$1.14 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1980 to 2023), the average change was −US$2.61 million and a typical year strayed about US$1.3 billion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator DT.NFL.PCBO.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB), uri: https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/debt-statistics Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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