Majority of Zimbabweans Now Spending Over US$9 a Day, Minister Says Amid Debate

Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube’s claim that most Zimbabweans now spend over US$9 a day sparks debate (image source)

BULAWAYO — Finance Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube told delegates at a 2026 pre-budget seminar that the majority of Zimbabweans are now spending in excess of US$9 per day on average, a figure he linked to the nation’s progress toward middle-income thresholds and the broader goals of the National Development Strategy and Vision 2030. His remarks sparked immediate scrutiny from fact-checkers and analysts who questioned how headline spending claims align with official income and GNI metrics.

In his presentation, Prof Ncube framed the US$9-a-day figure as an indicator of rising domestic consumption that, if sustained, would support the country’s transition to a higher income-status trajectory. He argued the data show improved household purchasing power and that Zimbabwe is on course to meet long-term development targets, citing growth achievements and policy reforms that have underpinned recent economic resilience.

However, independent reviewers highlighted gaps between the minister’s consumption benchmark and internationally accepted income gauges. Critics pointed to World Bank and other global comparators showing Zimbabwe’s per-capita GNI and PPP adjustments lag behind the thresholds implied by a US$9-a-day spending rate, suggesting the minister’s assertion may overstate aggregate welfare gains when measured against conventional metrics. Fact-check analyses urged caution in equating daily spending snapshots with structural income reclassification without corroborating survey-based household consumption data and standardised international comparisons.

Social commentators noted that average daily spending figures can mask deep sub-national and urban-rural disparities. While pockets of urban affluence and elevated consumer spending have expanded in certain sectors, many households still face acute food, energy and service affordability pressures that belie headline averages. Analysts said targeted social policies and inclusive growth measures remain essential to translate rising spending among some cohorts into broad-based welfare improvements.

The minister’s claim has set off a wider debate about measurement, policymaking and the political optics of income classification. Observers called for transparent release of the underlying data, methodology and disaggregated household consumption surveys to allow independent verification and to guide equitable policy responses.