Who does Zambia rely on?

1. South Africa$3 billion · 24.9%
2. China$2 billion · 16.9%
3. United Arab Emirates$609 million · 5.1%
4. India$574 million · 4.9%
5. Tanzania$510 million · 4.3%
6. Singapore$504 million · 4.3%
7. Japan$476 million · 4%
8. Namibia$471 million · 4%
9. Saudi Arabia$326 million · 2.8%
10. Democratic Republic of the Congo$320 million · 2.7%

Some of these goods may have been produced in another country: countries record origin in different ways.

Of the 514 products Zambia buys for more than $1 million in 2024, these are the highest-value ones with a dominant supplier.

and 266 more

A product has a dominant supplier when a single country sells more than 50% of what is bought of it; we flag it separately above 75%.

Some of these goods may have been produced in another country: countries record origin in different ways.

Largest customer: Switzerland

33%

Concentration (HHI)

1,807

Concentration index (HHI): 1,807 out of 10,000; equivalent to splitting sales among 6 customers of the same size

138 of the 183 products Zambia sells for more than $1 million have a customer buying more than 50% of what Zambia sells of that product; in 86, more than 75%. In those products, sales to each one’s dominant customer add up to 37.8% of what Zambia sells.

and 123 more

The closest countries in the concentration ranking (HHI, highest first).

• Trade profile of Zambia
• Trade between Zambia and China
• Trade between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Trade between Zambia and India
• Trade between Zambia and South Africa
• Trade between Zambia and Switzerland
• Dependence of Zambia on South Africa
• All countries

Sources and licenses

• CEPII BACI · Licence Ouverte Etalab 2.0
• Natural Earth · Public domain

Methodology

The data come from CEPII BACI (Etalab 2.0 licence), which reconciles what the exporting and the importing country report, in current USD, FOB. Data up to 2024.

Dependence is the share of a country’s imports (or exports) that each partner accounts for. It does not measure whether a product has a substitute or how much it would cost to change supplier.

The concentration index (HHI) adds up the square of each partner’s share, in percent: it runs from 0 to 10,000. Its equivalent is 10,000 ÷ HHI, the number of partners of the same size that would give that value.

Products are HS4 headings of the 1992 nomenclature (some combine different goods), with a floor of $1 million per product and country.

The EU is the 27 current members in every year; the United Kingdom is outside the EU throughout the series.

Re-exports: countries that act as redistribution hubs carry their notice and the figures are not corrected.