Briefing Paper

Accelerating Economic Growth and Policy Reforms to Optimise Zambia’s Demographic Dividend

Zambia‘s Vision 2030 attempts to turn the country into a prosperous industrial middle-income nation, which will provides opportunities for improving the well-being of all its citizens. In the past decade, the country has experienced steady economic growth, averaging at 6.7 % and graduated into lower middle-income status in 2012, with a per capita GDP of $1,839 in 2013. Despite this impressive growth, more than 60 % of the population still live in poverty and 83 % work in the informal sector where underemployment rates are high. This policy brief highlights the economic policy reforms and investments that Zambia should embark on to accelerate economic growth, job creation and wealth creation, which are critical for the country to harness a sizeable demographic dividend.