Fight Inequality Alliance Zambia demands action against rising cost of living

3 July 2026

LUSAKA — As the world marks the Global Day to Fight Inequality on 4th July, the Fight Inequality Alliance (FIA) Zambia calls on the Government to cushion citizens from the crushing cost of living and to champion policies that serve the 99%, not corporations and billionaires.

While the ruling elites celebrate “macroeconomic stability,” ordinary Zambians are being pushed to the margins. Persistent price volatility in food and agriculture produce has eroded purchasing power, leaving households trapped in poverty and indignity.

The latest Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR) Basic Needs and Nutrition Basket exposes the reality. A family of five in Lusaka now needs ZMW 12,051.64 to survive up from ZMW 11,417.99 just a year ago.

Prices of essentials are spiralling. 2L of Cooking oil has jumped from ZMW 123.21 to ZMW 134.21, while transport, water, and housing costs continue to climb. For many Zambians, disposable incomes are vanishing, forcing them into impossible choices such as skipping meals, sacrificing healthcare, or going without basic needs.

The stagnation of minimum wages with domestic workers earning just ZMW1,300 and shop workers between ZMW 2,313.10 and ZMW 4,638.25 has left many unable to keep pace with the rising cost of survival.

“The fact that the government is painting a progressive picture while households sink deeper into crisis shows that current fiscal policies are not in the interest of the majority of Zambians, the 99%. The government must immediately abandon regressive economic measures and cushion citizens grappling for survival,” said Mputa Ngalande, FIA Zambia Coordinator.

FIA Zambia demands a shift from elite and superrich interests to the lived realities of the 99%. Our calls for action are:

1. Tax Justice for the 99%.
Implement a progressive tax structure that reduces VAT on essential goods such as mealie meals and basic needs to provide immediate relief to low-income households.

2. Fair Pricing and Targeted Relief.
Establish a price monitoring framework and targeted subsidies for essential items like cooking oil, fuel, and gas to ensure basic needs remain affordable and accessible for all citizens.

3. Transparent and Accountable Spending.
Mandate the full public disclosure of the spending on the Constituency Development Fund. Establish an independent oversight mechanism to track the allocation of public funds, ensuring that every Kwacha is accounted for and directed toward community services rather than opaque deals.

4. Protect Social Spending Floors.
Commit to legally ring-fencing a "social spending floor" in the national budget. This ensures that funding for schools and hospitals remains consistent and prioritized, even during debt-restructuring negotiations, to protect the future and health of all Zambians.
On this Global Day to Fight Inequality, FIA Zambia stands with the workers, market traders, informal sector earners, and millions of ordinary households bearing the unequal brunt of this cost-of-living crisis and demands urgent action.

MEDIA CONTACT

Farai Kadyamoto I FIA Zambia Communication and Mobilization officer I farai.kadyamoto@fightinequality.org