Employers, total (% of total employment) in Zambia
Zambia: Employers, total (% of total employment) was 1.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Employers, total (% of total employment) in Zambia, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, employers, total (% of total employment) in Zambia stood at 1.6%.
That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and up 0.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employers, total (% of total employment) in Zambia peaked at 3.7% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 1.2%, in 2019.
That places Zambia 153rd out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Employers, total (% of total employment) in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 2.3% | — |
| 1992 | 2.3% | -1.6% |
| 1993 | 2.1% | -7.1% |
| 1994 | 2.1% | -1.2% |
| 1995 | 2.0% | -5.3% |
| 1996 | 2.0% | -1.0% |
| 1997 | 1.9% | -1.4% |
| 1998 | 1.8% | -8.2% |
| 1999 | 1.6% | -7.9% |
| 2000 | 1.6% | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 1.7% | +6.7% |
| 2002 | 1.9% | +6.7% |
| 2003 | 2.0% | +5.7% |
| 2004 | 2.1% | +7.5% |
| 2005 | 2.2% | +5.8% |
| 2006 | 2.0% | -8.6% |
| 2007 | 1.8% | -12.2% |
| 2008 | 1.5% | -14.2% |
| 2009 | 1.5% | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 1.6% | +2.7% |
| 2011 | 1.6% | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 1.5% | -4.0% |
| 2013 | 1.5% | +2.6% |
| 2014 | 1.6% | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 1.5% | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 1.6% | +2.4% |
| 2017 | 1.6% | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 1.6% | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 1.2% | -23.4% |
| 2020 | 2.1% | +65.3% |
| 2021 | 3.7% | +78.6% |
| 2022 | 3.0% | -17.9% |
| 2023 | 1.6% | -48.2% |
| 2024 | 1.6% | -0.6% |
| 2025 | 1.6% | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.0% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 9 |
| 2000s | 1.8% | 1.5% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.5% | 1.2% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.2% | 1.6% | 3.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More work & labour data for Zambia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.5254 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.5224 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.5281 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 0.7611 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 3.24 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 25,577 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 15,424 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 32,895 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 31,579 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 64,474 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employers, total (% of total employment) in Zambia?
- Employers, total (% of total employment) in Zambia was 1.6% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employers, total (% of total employment) recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 3.7% in 2021.
- What is the lowest employers, total (% of total employment) recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.2% in 2019.
- How does Zambia rank for employers, total (% of total employment)?
- Zambia ranks 153rd out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employers, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employers, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Employers are those workers who, working on their own account or with one or a few partners, hold the type of jobs defined as a "self-employment jobs" i.e. jobs where the remuneration is directly dependent upon the profits derived from the goods and services produced), and, in this capacity, have engaged, on a continuous basis, one or more persons to work for them as employee(s).