32-0826

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador David DUNN
embassy: corner of Independence and United Nations Avenues
mailing address: P. O. Box 31617, Lusaka
telephone: (1) 250-955, 252-230
FAX: (1) 252-225

Flag description: green with a panel of three vertical bands of red
(hoist side), black, and orange below a soaring orange eagle, on the
outer edge of the flag

@Zambia:Economy

Economy - overview: Despite progress in privatization and budgetary
reform, Zambia's economy has a long way to go. The recent
privatization of the huge government-owned Zambia Consolidated Copper
Mines (ZCCM) should greatly improve Zambia's prospects for
international debt relief, as the government will no longer have to
cover the mammoth losses generated by that sector. Inflation and
unemployment rates remain high, however.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $8.5 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 1.5% (1999 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $880 (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 20.6%
industry: 30.6%
services: 48.8% (1998 est.)

Population below poverty line: 86% (1993 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.5%
highest 10%: 31.3% (1993)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 27.4% (1999 est.)

Labor force: 3.4 million

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 85%, industry 6%, services 9%

Unemployment rate: 25% (1998)

Budget:
revenues: $606 million
expenditures: $547 million, including capital expenditures of $61
million (1998 est.)

Industries: copper mining and processing, construction, foodstuffs,
beverages, chemicals, textiles, fertilizer

Industrial production growth rate: -4% (1998)

Electricity - production: 8.16 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 0.49%
hydro: 99.51%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1998)

Electricity - consumption: 6.419 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports: 1.2 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports: 30 million kWh (1998)

Agriculture - products: corn, sorghum, rice, peanuts, sunflower seed,
tobacco, cotton, sugarcane, cassava (tapioca); cattle, goats, pigs,
poultry, beef, pork, poultry, milk, eggs, hides; coffee

Exports: $900 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Exports - commodities: copper, cobalt, electricity, tobacco

Exports - partners: Japan, Saudi Arabia, India, Thailand, South
Africa, US, Malaysia (1997)

Imports: $1.15 billion