Zimbabwe’s new currency, the Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG), recorded a slight inflation increase of 0.7% in April 2025, while the United States dollar (USD) experienced a modest 0.2% depreciation, according to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (Zimstat).
In a report released Friday, Zimstat noted that ZiG’s month-on-month inflation rate for April stood at 0.6%, a 0.7 percentage point rise from March’s -0.1%. However, on a year-on-year basis, inflation for the ZWG remained high at 85.7%, highlighting ongoing underlying inflationary pressures.
Despite these numbers, economic analysts believe the fluctuations remain within manageable levels and pose no immediate threat to market stability. They credit the controlled inflation environment to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s (RBZ) continued tight liquidity management.
Meanwhile, the government last week introduced a major policy shift through Statutory Instrument 34 of 2025, granting general traders the ability to set the official exchange rate. Analysts expect this move to curb speculative activities and encourage greater discipline in the foreign currency market over time.
Zimstat on ZiG
Zimstat also reported that the US dollar’s month-on-month inflation rate edged up to 0.2% in April 2025, compared to 0.1% recorded in March. On a year-on-year basis, the USD inflation rate stood at 14.4%.
“The weighted month-on-month inflation rate was 0.3% in April 2025, an increase of 0.3 percentage points from the March 2025 rate of 0.0%,” Zimstat said. “The weighted year-on-year inflation rate for April 2025 was recorded at 26.2%.”
In addition to inflation figures, the agency highlighted updated poverty statistics. The Food Poverty Line (FPL)—the minimum amount needed to meet basic daily energy requirements—was set at ZiG 862.06 per person for April 2025. Meanwhile, the Total Consumption Poverty Line (TCPL), which includes both food and essential non-food items, was pegged at ZiG 1,263.41.
Authorities and market analysts will be closely monitoring the performance of the ZWG in the coming months as the government and central bank push ahead with efforts to stabilise the currency and strengthen public confidence.
