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2023
Economic Complexity
Trade -0.65Rank 94 of 132
2022
Economic Complexity
Research -0.26Rank 73 of 140
2023
Product
Exports | Imports $15.9B | $10.7B85 of 226 |  112 of 226
2023
Per Capita Product
Exports | Imports $770 | $518132 of 220 |  180 of 220

About

Overview In 2023, Zambia was the number 111 economy in the world in terms of GDP (current US$), the number 85 in total exports, the number 112 in total imports, the number 171 economy in terms of GDP per capita (current US$) and the number 94 most complex economy according to the Economic Complexity Index (ECI) .

Exports The top exports of Zambia are Raw Copper ($6.95B), Refined Copper ($2.83B), Gold ($1.85B), Precious Stones ($515M), and Electricity ($325M), exporting mostly to Switzerland ($4.26B), China ($2.39B), India ($2.11B), United Arab Emirates ($1.84B), and Democratic Republic of the Congo ($1.6B).

In 2023, Zambia was the world's biggest exporter of Raw Copper ($6.95B)

Imports The top imports of Zambia are Refined Petroleum ($1.79B), Delivery Trucks ($597M), Nitrogenous Fertilizers ($462M), Sulphur ($353M), and Tractors ($302M), importing mostly from South Africa ($2.72B), China ($1.65B), United Arab Emirates ($1.03B), India ($562M), and Japan ($533M).

Location Zambia borders Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe by land.

Latest Trends

Latest Trade

Flow
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Y-AXIS SCALE

The following section uses the most recent trade data from partners of Zambia.

Disclaimer: data is presented based on availability and only countries that use the harmonized system are being shown.

* Trade values are converted to USD using each month's exchange rate. For December 2023 data, the exchange rate from December 30, 2023 is used.

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Latest Data

Flow
Color
Depth

The data obtained is mirror data. The trade of countries that do not report current data can be reconstructed based on data reported by partner countries with current data available.

*All data is converted to USD using January 2020 exchange rates when data is reported in local currency.

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Historical Data

Yearly Trade

Flow
Color
Depth
Top Export (2023)Raw Copper$6.95B
Top Destination (2023)Switzerland$4.26B

In 2023, Zambia exported a total of $15.9B, making it the number 85 exporter in the world. During the last five reported years the exports of Zambia have changed by $3.59B from $12.4B in 2018 to $15.9B in 2023.

The most recent exports are led by Raw Copper ($6.95B), Refined Copper ($2.83B), Gold ($1.85B), Precious Stones ($515M), and Electricity ($325M). The most common destination for the exports of Zambia are Switzerland ($4.26B), China ($2.39B), India ($2.11B), United Arab Emirates ($1.84B), and Democratic Republic of the Congo ($1.6B).

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Exports (2023)
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Destinations (2023)
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Market Growth

Flow
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Growth
Fastest Growing Export Markets (2022 - 2023)
India$1.94B (+ 1.1k%)
Democratic Republic of the Congo$615M (+ 62.2%)
South Africa$124M (+ 40.2%)
Fastest Growing Import Markets (2022 - 2023)
Singapore$311M (+ 497%)
Saudi Arabia$286M (+ 880%)
China$275M (+ 20%)

Total Export Growth by Market (2022 - 2023)

Potential Exports

Potential Exports

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Service Trade

Service Trade

Zambia Exports Services (2017)$855M
Zambia Imports Services (2017)$574M

In 2017, Zambia exported $855M worth of services. The top services exported by Zambia in 2017 were Business travel ($370M), Personal travel ($283M), Reinsurance ($75.4M), Transportation ($48.8M), and Telecommunications services ($37M).

The top services imported by Zambia in 2017 were Business travel ($156M), Reinsurance ($79.6M), Personal travel ($67M), Government services, n.i.e. ($58.2M), and Miscellaneous business, professional, and technical services ($56.9M).

Service Exports (2017)

Service Imports (2017)

Economic Complexity

Overview

Economic Complexity (Trade)-0.65Rank 94 of 132
Economic Complexity (Research)-0.26Rank 73 of 140

Most Specialized Products by RCA Index

Zambia has a high level of specialization in Raw Copper (612), Cobalt Oxides and Hydroxides (100), Sulphur (79.9), Quicklime (73.3), and Precious Stones (61.3). Specialization is measured using RCA, an index that takes the ratio between Zambia observed and expected exports in each product.

Most Complex Products by PCI

The highest complexity exports of Zambia according to the product complexity index (PCI) are Organic derivatives of hydrazine or of hydroxylamine (1.2), Rail locomotives; powered from an external source of electricity or by electric... (0.81), Vehicles; for the transport of goods (0.45), Machinery for sorting, screening, separating, washing, crushing, grinding, mixing or kneading earth,... (0.41), and Polishes, creams, scouring pastes, powders and similar; in any form, (including articles... (0.36). PCI measures the knowledge intensity of a product by considering the knowledge intensity of its exporters.

Export Opportunities by Relatedness

The top export opportunities for Zambia according to the relatedness index, were Other Mineral (0.14), Tin Ores (0.13), Tropical Fruits (0.12), Other Oily Seeds (0.12), and Precious Metal Ore (0.12). Relatedness measures the distance between a country's current exports and each product. The barchart show only products that Zambia is not specialized in.

Product Space

The product space is a network connecting products that are likely to be co-exported. The product space can be used to predict future exports, since countries are more likely to start exporting products that are related to current exports. Relatedness measures the distance between a product, and all of the products a country currently specializes in.

Relatedness Space

This network shows the products most related to the production structure of Zambia. These are products that tend to be co-exported with the products that Zambia exports. Higher relatedness values ​​indicate greater knowledge, which predicts a greater probability of exporting that product in the future.

Relatedness Space (2023)

Diversification Frontier

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Depth

The Complexity-Relatedness diagram compares the risk vs strategic value of a country's potential export oppotunities. Relatedness is predictive of the probability that a country increases its exports in a product. Complexity, is associated with higher levels of income, economic growth, less income inequality, and lower greenhouse emissions.

Diversification Frontier

Economic Complexity Ranking

Methodology
Scale

During the last 20 years Zambia's⁩ ⁨economy has become relatively less complex, moving from the ⁩⁨nullth to the 94th⁩ position in the ECI rank.

These economic complexity rankings use 6 digit exports classified according to the HS96 classification. We consider only countries with population of at least 1 million and exports of at least $1 billion, and products with world trade over $500 million. To explore different rankings and vary these parameters visit the custom rankings section.

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ECI (Trade) Ranking by Country

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