Zambian youth positive about the future

Concern about employment among Zambian youth has fallen by 41 percentage points while confidence in national direction has risen by 32 percentage points in the latest African Youth Survey. Commissioned by the Ichikowitz Family Foundation and conducted by PSB Insights, the survey draws from 4 901 interviews with young Africans aged 18 to 24 across 16 countries in March 2026. Ghana, Ethiopia and Zambia have recorded major rebounds in confidence since 2024. By contrast, youth in Kenya, South Africa, Mozambique, Chad and Nigeria are among the most pessimistic about national direction, the economy, security or the wider global outlook. Youth in Rwanda (91%), Burkina Faso (83%), Somalia (82%) and Ghana (72%) were among the most optimistic about the direction their own country was taking. The survey found Afro- optimism was at its strongest level since the pandemic, with 47% of young Africans saying their country was moving in the right direction, up from 30% in 2024, while 45% say the national economy is moving in the right direction, up from 26%. The rising cost of living is named as the issue that has had the biggest impact on Africa over the past five years – ahead of political instability, deaths from infectious disease and the technological revolution. It was a major issue for political parties and voters in the run-up to the Zambian national elections on August 13. Zambia’s annual inflation rate remained at 6.5% in July, unchanged from June, indicating stability in the pace of price increases, according to the Zambia Statistics Agency (Zamstats). Average prices of food items increased by 6.7% between June 2025 and June 2026, and those of goods and services by 6.5% over the same period. The rising cost of living is named as the single event or development that has had the biggest impact on Africa over the past five years, selected by 27% of respondents. When asked what Africa most needs to progress, young Africans put creating new, well-paying jobs first at 27%, followed closely by reducing government corruption at 25%. Making it easier to start a business was selected by 16%, up from 10% in 2020. ER