By Augustine Mukoka ZAMBIA’S ECONOMY PERFORMING BELOW PAR: Respected German Think Tank Gives President Hichilema’s First Term Below-Average Ratings On The Economy And Rule Of Law President Hakainde Hichilema’s first term has received below-average ratings on key governance and economic indicators in the latest country assessment by the respected German think tank Bertelsmann Stiftung (BTI). […]

By Augustine Mukoka

ZAMBIA’S ECONOMY PERFORMING BELOW PAR: Respected German Think Tank Gives President Hichilema’s First Term Below-Average Ratings On The Economy And Rule Of Law

President Hakainde Hichilema’s first term has received below-average ratings on key governance and economic indicators in the latest country assessment by the respected German think tank Bertelsmann Stiftung (BTI).

The report paints a mixed picture of Zambia’s democratic and economic trajectory, concluding that while the country has made some gains in political transformation, its economic performance remains weak and progress on democratic reforms has fallen short of expectations.

The Bertelsmann Transformation Index (BTI) is compiled with contributions from nearly 300 country and regional experts drawn from leading universities and research institutions around the world. The index evaluates and compares countries’ progress toward democracy, good governance, and an inclusive market economy.

According to the Zambia report, which covers the period from February 2023 to January 2025, the country is classified as a defective democracy, with limited economic transformation and moderate governance performance.

The report argues that although President Hichilema entered office promising democratic renewal, the government’s record has not fully reflected those commitments.

“In Zambia, President Hichilema’s government promised democratic renewal but has become less tolerant of dissent and more inclined to clamp down on its opponents,” the report states.

On the overall BTI Status Index, Zambia scored 5.25 out of 10, placing 63rd out of 137 countries assessed.

A breakdown of the ratings shows that political transformation remains Zambia’s strongest-performing category, with a score of 6.10 out of 10, ranking 49th globally. Governance received 5.04 out of 10, placing the country 52nd, while economic transformation emerged as the weakest area, scoring just 4.39 out of 10 and ranking 97th out of 137 countries.

The report further observes that the optimism which followed President Hichilema’s election has gradually diminished

“President Hichilema’s ‘New Dawn’ government promised to initiate a process of democratic renewal, and Lungu’s removal immediately created a greater sense that Zambians could exercise their political rights and civil liberties. However, since the election, progress in realizing the new administration’s promised reforms has been mixed, and the sense of greater freedom regarding political rights and civil liberties has begun to diminish once again.”

The findings suggest that while Zambia continues to perform comparatively better in political transformation than in economic reform, significant challenges remain in translating campaign promises into measurable improvements in governance, civil liberties, and economic development.

Read the full BTI Zambia 2026 Country Report: https://bti-project.org/fileadmin/api/content/en/downloads/reports/country_report_2026_ZMB.pdf