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ZMW

Zambian Kwacha

ZMW · Zambia

46
Moderate
Risk
Historical Scores
374349Jul 2021Jul 2025Aug 2026
What does this mean for you?

The Zambian Kwacha is in decent shape overall, scoring 46 out of 100. There are some areas to watch, but no immediate danger. Your money is holding its value reasonably well compared to most currencies.

Your savings need 15.4%/yr returns to not lose value. ZMW100 today → ZMW88 next year. Calculator ↓

Inflation
13.9%
Debt / GDP
71.4%
GDP Growth
3.8%
FX Volatility
46.8
Governance
Not available
Reserves
3.3 mo
Analysis
What's working well
Economy is growing healthily
Banking system is in good shape
What to watch out for
The currency has been swinging wildly — hard to plan ahead
Restrictions on moving your money out of the country
Prices rising fast (13.9% per year) — your savings lose value quickly
Full Zambia analysis →

Savings Impact Calculator

ZMW
Holding cash in ZMW13.9% inflation
ZMW 521−ZMW 479 (48% purchasing power lost)
Your ZMW 1,000 buys 48% less in 5 years
What if you invested ZMW 1,000 instead? (5yr, in ZMW terms)
USD-denominated assets gain an additional ~10.9%/yr from expected ZMW depreciation vs USD
Hold USD Cash
ZMW 1463
+ZMW 463
+7.9%/yr net in ZMW
S&P 500
ZMW 2584
+ZMW 1584
range: ZMW 1271–ZMW 4810
10% USD return + 10.9% FX · ±16% vol
Gold
ZMW 2377
+ZMW 1377
range: ZMW 770–ZMW 5961
8% USD return + 10.9% FX · ±24% vol
Bitcoin
ZMW 4637
+ZMW 3637
range: ZMW 369–ZMW 24.7k
25% USD return + 10.9% FX · ±54% vol

All values in ZMW. USD-denominated assets (S&P 500, Gold, Bitcoin) include an estimated FX gain of ~10.9%/yr based on the inflation differential between Zambia (13.9%) and the US (~3%). This uses purchasing power parity as a long-run approximation — actual FX movements can differ significantly in the short term. S&P 500 based on 1957-2024, Gold on 2000-2024, Bitcoin on 2015-2024. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Not financial advice.

Holding other assets too? Calculate your full portfolio risk →
This score is based on our 12-factor risk model. Think inflation or debt should matter more? Build your own model with custom weights and see how ZMW ranks differently.
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