Zambia Economic Brief

Abstract

With this first Zambia economic brief,
 the World Bank is launching a series of short economic
 updates that will be produced twice a year. Each brief will
 include two sections: the Bank's assessment of recent
 economic developments and outlook in the short to medium
 term; and its analysis on a specific development topic or
 theme. The authors expect these briefs to support
 evidence-based policy debate in the country, strengthen
 public demand for good policies and outcomes, and inform
 government policies and programs. In this brief, first
 section reports on Zambia's continued robust growth,
 fiscal outcomes, and capital inflows at the end of 2012
 against the backdrop of performance of other Sub- Saharan
 and global economies. It stresses the need for the
 government to spend borrowed and own resources more
 prudently. While acknowledging continuing strong prospects
 for growth, the analysis highlights considerable downside
 risks emanating from global uncertainties. Second section
 covers basic human opportunities for children in Zambia. The
 opportunities approach is premised on the notion that
 predetermined circumstances such as gender, ethnicity, place
 of birth, and family origins should not determine
 people's economic, social, and political success. A
 person should not have fewer opportunities in life just
 because she is a girl or born in a rural area. This is the
 core principle behind the concept of equality of opportunity
 and it is also the framework adopted in this report for
 Zambia. The analysis shows the extent to which basic
 opportunities for education, health, and infrastructure
 services in Zambia are influenced by circumstances in which
 children find themselves.