Growth estimates, based on production at the end of March 2020, call for a contraction in GDP of -2.4%, compared to the 1.9% initially forecast. The World Bank puts growth at -3.8% in the worst-case scenario of coronavirus spread.

However, the gradual recovery of global economic activity and the launch of production at the Kamoa-Kakula mine should enable a recovery in economic growth to 4.5% in 2022. The price of copper increased by 21% in the second quarter of 2020. Gold reached a new record in July 2020 at USD 1,760/oz. As for zinc, its price will continue to increase for the rest of 2020, with improved Chinese demand. The statistics show that the price of cobalt fell by 15% since February 2020 and now stands at USD 30,000/ton.

With GDP of USD 45 billion and a population of nearly 100 million, this further tests the resilience of the population, which lives on USD 1.4 per day per person. Given that population growth is 3.5% on average, this will mean a real decrease in GDP per inhabitant: USD 542.76 (2019) against USD 504.75 (2020).