The country needs to spend more than it currently earns, but over the past 10 years the Zambian government have spent almost double as much on servicing the debt than on health and education services

In 2000 debt repayments took US$ 170 million while spending on health amounted to US$ 76 million and spending on education was US$ 70 million.

Zambia owes approximately 55% of its debt to the IMF and World Bank, approximately 33% is owed to rich country governments (eg Britain, France, USA, Japan) and the rest is owed to private banks.

Debt repayments and the Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs) of the IMF and World Bank have hurt the poorest in Zambia and have diverted government resources away from essential services such as health and education and assistance to small farmers. Between 1991and 1993 in Zambia, public expenditure on such services halved.

In the words of Jubilee Zambia

"Zambia's total debt is clearly unpayable….the debt burden is economically exhausting. It blocks future development….it is politically destabilising…it hurts the poorest in our midst"

for more on Zambia see our website www.debtireland.org/schools/country-profiles.htm