January 2025 Basic Needs and Nutrition Basket Statement: Actualising Improved Living Conditions for All in 2025

The Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR) has released the January 2025 Basic Needs and Nutrition Basket (BNNB), which stands at ZMW 10,800.56 for a family of five in Lusaka, reflecting a marginal decrease of ZMW 32.90 from December 2024. The reduction is primarily due to lower prices for commodities such as kapenta and vegetables, although other essentials, including onions, fruits, and charcoal, have increased in cost. Despite this slight decline, the cost of living remains alarmingly high, exacerbating economic challenges faced by households. In 2024, factors such as drought-related food shortages, rising fuel prices, and the energy crisis further strained livelihoods, compromising food security and overall well-being. Guided by Catholic Social Teaching, JCTR calls on the government to take decisive action by strengthening agricultural value chains, implementing a quarterly review of fuel prices, enhancing transparency and accountability in local authorities, and encouraging household-level solidarity to support vulnerable groups. Without urgent interventions, inequalities, poverty, and food insecurity may worsen. JCTR remains committed to advocating for economic justice and policy reforms that promote human dignity and ensure access to essential goods and services.