Official exchange rate in Zambia
Zambia: Official exchange rate was 5,117 LCU per US$, end period in 2011. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2011)
5,117 LCU per US$, end period
Change on year
up 6.7%
World rank
3rd
of 51 countries
All-time high
5,117 LCU per US$, end period
in 2011
All-time low
0.6435 LCU per US$, end period
in 1973
Years of data
52
1960–2011
Official exchange rate in Zambia, 1960–2011
Source: International Monetary Fund, International Financial Statistics. Measured in LCU per US$, end period.
Analysis
In 2011, official exchange rate in Zambia stood at 5,117 LCU per US$, end period. That is the highest value across all 52 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.7% on the previous year and up 33.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, official exchange rate in Zambia peaked at 5,117 LCU per US$, end period in 2011 and was at its lowest, 0.6435 LCU per US$, end period, in 1973.
That places Zambia 3rd out of 51 countries with data for 2011, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Official exchange rate in Zambia, year by year
| Year | LCU per US$, end period | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.7143 LCU per US$, end period | — |
| 1961 | 0.7143 LCU per US$, end period | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 0.7143 LCU per US$, end period | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 0.7143 LCU per US$, end period | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 0.7143 LCU per US$, end period | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 0.7143 LCU per US$, end period | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 0.7143 LCU per US$, end period | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 0.7143 LCU per US$, end period | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 0.7143 LCU per US$, end period | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 0.7143 LCU per US$, end period | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 0.7143 LCU per US$, end period | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 0.7143 LCU per US$, end period | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 0.715 LCU per US$, end period | +0.1% |
| 1973 | 0.6435 LCU per US$, end period | -10.0% |
| 1974 | 0.6435 LCU per US$, end period | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 0.6435 LCU per US$, end period | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 0.7934 LCU per US$, end period | +23.3% |
| 1977 | 0.7599 LCU per US$, end period | -4.2% |
| 1978 | 0.7872 LCU per US$, end period | +3.6% |
| 1979 | 0.7785 LCU per US$, end period | -1.1% |
| 1980 | 0.8035 LCU per US$, end period | +3.2% |
| 1981 | 0.8828 LCU per US$, end period | +9.9% |
| 1982 | 0.9297 LCU per US$, end period | +5.3% |
| 1983 | 1.51 LCU per US$, end period | +62.5% |
| 1984 | 2.2 LCU per US$, end period | +45.7% |
| 1985 | 5.7 LCU per US$, end period | +159.0% |
| 1986 | 12.71 LCU per US$, end period | +123.0% |
| 1987 | 8 LCU per US$, end period | -37.1% |
| 1988 | 10 LCU per US$, end period | +25.0% |
| 1989 | 21.65 LCU per US$, end period | +116.4% |
| 1990 | 42.75 LCU per US$, end period | +97.5% |
| 1991 | 88.97 LCU per US$, end period | +108.1% |
| 1992 | 359.71 LCU per US$, end period | +304.3% |
| 1993 | 500 LCU per US$, end period | +39.0% |
| 1994 | 680.27 LCU per US$, end period | +36.1% |
| 1995 | 956.13 LCU per US$, end period | +40.6% |
| 1996 | 1,283 LCU per US$, end period | +34.2% |
| 1997 | 1,415 LCU per US$, end period | +10.3% |
| 1998 | 2,299 LCU per US$, end period | +62.5% |
| 1999 | 2,632 LCU per US$, end period | +14.5% |
| 2000 | 4,158 LCU per US$, end period | +58.0% |
| 2001 | 3,830 LCU per US$, end period | -7.9% |
| 2002 | 4,334 LCU per US$, end period | +13.2% |
| 2003 | 4,645 LCU per US$, end period | +7.2% |
| 2004 | 4,771 LCU per US$, end period | +2.7% |
| 2005 | 3,509 LCU per US$, end period | -26.5% |
| 2006 | 4,407 LCU per US$, end period | +25.6% |
| 2007 | 3,845 LCU per US$, end period | -12.8% |
| 2008 | 4,832 LCU per US$, end period | +25.7% |
| 2009 | 4,641 LCU per US$, end period | -4.0% |
| 2010 | 4,796 LCU per US$, end period | +3.4% |
| 2011 | 5,117 LCU per US$, end period | +6.7% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 5,117 LCU per US$, end period is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 233.11 LCU per US$, end period, 22.0× the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 5,117 LCU per US$, end period is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 494.28 LCU per US$, end period, 10.4× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Official exchange rate in Zambia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | +304.3% | 88.97 LCU per US$, end period | 359.71 LCU per US$, end period |
| 1985 | +159.0% | 2.2 LCU per US$, end period | 5.7 LCU per US$, end period |
| 1986 | +123.0% | 5.7 LCU per US$, end period | 12.71 LCU per US$, end period |
| 1989 | +116.4% | 10 LCU per US$, end period | 21.65 LCU per US$, end period |
| 1991 | +108.1% | 42.75 LCU per US$, end period | 88.97 LCU per US$, end period |
| 1990 | +97.5% | 21.65 LCU per US$, end period | 42.75 LCU per US$, end period |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.7143 LCU per US$, end period | 0.7143 LCU per US$, end period | 0.7143 LCU per US$, end period | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.7193 LCU per US$, end period | 0.6435 LCU per US$, end period | 0.7934 LCU per US$, end period | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.44 LCU per US$, end period | 0.8035 LCU per US$, end period | 21.65 LCU per US$, end period | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,026 LCU per US$, end period | 42.75 LCU per US$, end period | 2,632 LCU per US$, end period | 10 |
| 2000s | 4,297 LCU per US$, end period | 3,509 LCU per US$, end period | 4,832 LCU per US$, end period | 10 |
| 2010s | 4,957 LCU per US$, end period | 4,796 LCU per US$, end period | 5,117 LCU per US$, end period | 2 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 1 Sao Tome and Principe 18,935 LCU per US$, end period compare
- 2 Guinea 5,793 LCU per US$, end period compare
- 4 Sierra Leone 3,816 LCU per US$, end period compare
- 5 Madagascar 2,247 LCU per US$, end period compare
- 6 Uganda 2,111 LCU per US$, end period compare
More reference data data for Zambia
- Exchange rate, new LCU per USD extended backward, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Exchange rate, old LCU per USD extended forward, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Official exchange rate, LCU per USD, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Political opposition, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament and government, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Global number of reported disasters by size, gaps filled 0 events (2025)
- Annual precipitation, annual growth rate 40.84 % change on previous year (2025)
- Free country, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, gaps filled 4 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is official exchange rate in Zambia?
- Official exchange rate in Zambia was 5,117 LCU per US$, end period in 2011, according to International Monetary Fund, International Financial Statistics.
- What is the highest official exchange rate recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 5,117 LCU per US$, end period in 2011.
- What is the lowest official exchange rate recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.6435 LCU per US$, end period in 1973.
- How does Zambia rank for official exchange rate?
- Zambia ranks 3rd out of 51 countries with data for 2011.
- Is official exchange rate rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 33.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund, International Financial Statistics, published as part of Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, end period). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 52 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Official exchange rate refers to the exchange rate determined by national authorities or to the rate determined in the legally sanctioned exchange market. This series shows the end period value of local currency units relative to the U.S. dollar.