Finance minister hails World Bank’s delisting of Zimbabwe from Fragile and Conflict Affected Economies

FINANCE Minister, Mthuli Ncube has commended the recent delisting of Zimbabwe from Fragile and Conflict Affected Economies highlighting that the gesture is direct confirmation of the impact of reforms being undertaken back home.

Zimbabwe has been delisted from the World Bank’s Fragile States group, effective July 1, 2026. The decision removes the country from the bank’s former umbrella Fragile and Conflict-Affected Situations category now updated in the new Fragility, Conflict and Violence classification framework.

Ncube welcomed the move as international recognition of policy consistency and macroeconomic stability under the government’s Vision 2030 roadmap.

“The World Bank’s decision to delist Zimbabwe from its list of Fragile and Conflict-Affected Economies is a direct validation of the country’s ongoing economic turnaround, governance, and institutional reforms.

“Treasury remains committed to boosting institutional resilience, policy consistency, and inclusive growth. He added that the goal is to translate this renewed global confidence into tangible investments, jobs, and improved local livelihoods,” he said.

The World Bank updated its framework in July 2026, splitting the old umbrella fragility category into two distinct, independent metrics: the Public FCV List tracking organised political violence and the Institutional Fragility List tracking governance indicators. Zimbabwe’s complete omission from both lists removes a severe “sovereign risk” label.

The latest developments coincide with an endorsement from global investment bank Citigroup, which praised the country’s macroeconomic stabilisation. In a recent note to clients, Citigroup highlighted that investors clinging to outdated perceptions of economic turbulence risk missing out on significant opportunities created by the ongoing recovery.

The global banking giant Citigroup reported that Zimbabwe is breaking decisively with its history of hyperinflation and currency instability.

Ncube has projected the economy to register a conservative 5 percent growth this year, following an 8 percent expansion in 2025 which included restoration of the full agriculture contribution after a severe drought plus the normal growth.