Employment in industry, female (% of female employment) in Zambia

Zambia: Employment in industry, female (% of female employment) was 3.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
3.6%
Change on year
up 3.2%
World rank
175th
of 187 countries
All-time high
3.7%
in 2021
All-time low
1.7%
in 2000
Years of data
35
1991–2025

Employment in industry, female (% of female employment) in Zambia, 1991–2025

012341991200820251991: 3.21992: 3.11993: 3.11994: 2.91995: 2.81996: 2.81997: 2.71998: 2.61999: 2.12000: 1.72001: 1.82002: 1.92003: 2.12004: 2.32005: 2.52006: 2.32007: 2.12008: 22009: 2.22010: 2.42011: 2.52012: 2.62013: 2.82014: 2.92015: 32016: 32017: 32018: 32019: 32020: 3.32021: 3.72022: 3.72023: 3.52024: 3.52025: 3.6

Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).

Analysis

The most recent figure for employment in industry, female (% of female employment) in Zambia is 3.6%, measured in 2025.

The figure is up 3.2% on the previous year and up 20.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, employment in industry, female (% of female employment) in Zambia peaked at 3.7% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 1.7%, in 2000.

Zambia ranks 175th of 187 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.

Employment in industry, female (% of female employment) in Zambia, year by year

Annual values for Employment in industry, female (% of female employment) (modeled ILO estimate) in Zambia, 1991 to 2025.
Year Value Change
1991 3.2%
1992 3.1% -3.6%
1993 3.1% +1.4%
1994 2.9% -8.5%
1995 2.8% -2.5%
1996 2.8% -0.4%
1997 2.7% -1.9%
1998 2.6% -6.1%
1999 2.1% -19.6%
2000 1.7% -19.1%
2001 1.8% +7.3%
2002 1.9% +6.7%
2003 2.1% +9.4%
2004 2.3% +9.7%
2005 2.5% +8.3%
2006 2.3% -7.3%
2007 2.1% -7.0%
2008 2.0% -6.7%
2009 2.2% +8.6%
2010 2.4% +9.3%
2011 2.5% +4.5%
2012 2.6% +6.3%
2013 2.8% +4.7%
2014 2.9% +4.7%
2015 3.0% +3.8%
2016 3.0% -0.2%
2017 3.0% -0.4%
2018 3.0% +2.1%
2019 3.0% -1.6%
2020 3.3% +11.3%
2021 3.7% +12.5%
2022 3.7% -0.4%
2023 3.5% -6.3%
2024 3.5% +0.3%
2025 3.6% +3.2%

Zambia compared with similar countries

  • Zambia's 3.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 11.5%, 32% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
  • Zambia's 3.6% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 8.7%, 41% of the median. (47 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 2.8% 2.1% 3.2% 9
2000s 2.1% 1.7% 2.5% 10
2010s 2.8% 2.4% 3.0% 10
2020s 3.6% 3.3% 3.7% 6

Countries ranked near Zambia

  1. 172 Liberia 3.8% compare
  2. 173 Channel Islands 3.7% compare
  3. 174 Macau, China 3.6% compare
  4. 176 Uganda 3.5% compare
  5. 177 Zimbabwe 3.5% compare
  6. 178 Solomon Islands 3.1% compare

See the full ranking of 235 places →

More work & labour data for Zambia

All data for Zambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is employment in industry, female (% of female employment) in Zambia?
Employment in industry, female (% of female employment) in Zambia was 3.6% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
What is the highest employment in industry, female (% of female employment) recorded in Zambia?
The highest recorded value was 3.7% in 2021.
What is the lowest employment in industry, female (% of female employment) recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was 1.7% in 2000.
How does Zambia rank for employment in industry, female (% of female employment)?
Zambia ranks 175th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
Is employment in industry, female (% of female employment) rising or falling in Zambia?
Over the last ten years it is up 20.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Zambia data come from?
The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employment in industry, female (% of female employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Employment in industry, female (% of female employment) in Zambia. Statizoid, drawing on ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO). Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/employment-in-industry-female-percent-of-female-employment-modeled-ilo-estimate/zambia/

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About this data

Indicator
Employment in industry, female (% of female employment) (modeled ILO estimate)
Source
ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
235 places, 8,211 data points, 1991–2025
Last refreshed

Employment is defined as persons of working age who were engaged in any activity to produce goods or provide services for pay or profit, whether at work during the reference period or not at work due to temporary absence from a job, or to working-time arrangement. The industry sector consists of mining and quarrying, manufacturing, construction, and public utilities (electricity, gas, and water), in accordance with divisions 2-5 (ISIC 2) or categories C-F (ISIC 3) or categories B-F (ISIC 4).