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The cost of meeting basic needs for a family of five in Lusaka rose by K747.88 between January and June 2026, even as inflation eased and the Kwacha strengthened, the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection has said.
The JCTR’s Basic Needs and Nutrition Basket stood at K12,112.88 in June 2026, up from K11,365.00 in January and K11,763.38 in June 2025.
The latest JCTR Basic Needs and Nutrition Basket (BNNB) released in Lusaka on Wednesday shows that the annual increase of K349.50 continues to strain household budgets.
It noted that annual inflation eased from 11.2 percent in December 2025 to 6.5 percent in June 2026, while the period saw Kwacha appreciation, progress in external debt restructuring, and improved agricultural output.
JCTR Social and Economic Development Programme Officer, Michael Kasanda, said the gains had not reached households and that the rise occurred against improving macroeconomic indicators.
“Yet, improvements in the macroeconomic environment have not reflected at the household level,” Kasanda said.
He said the divergence between macro indicators and the BNNB shows how aggregate gains can mask hardship for low-income families.
“The divergence between improving macroeconomic indicators and the BNNB that rose by K747.88 over the same six months illustrates how aggregate economic gains can mask deepening hardships for low-income households,” Kasanda said.
He added that cost drivers such as charcoal fell outside goods most responsive to macro fundamentals.
In January 2026, the basket stood at K11,365.00, driven by higher prices of kapenta, onions, eggs and Irish potatoes.
February saw a sharp increase of K479.71 to K11,844.71, attributed to higher costs of beans, chicken, fruits and vegetables.
March recorded K12,078.52, up K233.81, on higher prices of mealie meal, kapenta, vegetables, fruits and charcoal.
“The persistent rise in the cost of living from January to June speaks directly to the principle of the preferential option for the poor,” Kasanda said.
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April saw an insignificant decline to K12,051.64, reflecting slight easing in food and non-food costs, particularly charcoal.
May’s basket increased to K12,160.54, mainly due to charcoal prices rising from K725.00 to K870.00 per 90kg bag, alongside mealie meal, beans and other essentials.
“It is low-income households, who can least absorb additional costs and who depend most heavily on expensive items like charcoal as an energy source, that continue to bear the heaviest burden of Zambia’s high cost-of-living,” Kasanda said.
June eased by K47.66 to K12,112.88, driven by reductions in mealie meal, beans and pounded groundnuts.
Kapenta however, rose from K434.56 to K497.74 per kg, vegetables from K741.31 to K775.93, tomatoes from K15.97 to K21.82 per kg, and charcoal from K870.00 to K900.00 per 90kg bag. Essential non-food items increased from K7,050.15 to K7,119.61.
Mealie meal fell from K235.57 to K197.14 per 25kg bag, beans from K70.05 to K56.73 per kg, and pounded groundnuts from K93.43 to K65.72 per kg.
Despite the monthly drop, Kasanda said the rise in charcoal and some foods continued to burden low-income households reliant on charcoal for cooking and heating.
“A just and inclusive economy, anchored in principles of solidarity and the common good, requires that reported macroeconomic stability translate into improvements in living conditions at household level,” he said.
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