Employment in industry (% of total employment) in Zambia
Zambia: Employment in industry (% of total employment) was 10.3% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment in industry (% of total employment) in Zambia, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Zambia recorded 10.3% for employment in industry (% of total employment) in 2025. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
The figure is up 2.7% on the previous year and up 5.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in industry (% of total employment) in Zambia peaked at 10.3% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 4.9%, in 2000.
That places Zambia 163rd out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Employment in industry (% of total employment) in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 7.3% | — |
| 1992 | 7.0% | -3.4% |
| 1993 | 7.0% | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 6.7% | -5.3% |
| 1995 | 6.5% | -2.1% |
| 1996 | 6.5% | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 6.4% | -1.7% |
| 1998 | 6.1% | -4.3% |
| 1999 | 5.4% | -10.6% |
| 2000 | 4.9% | -10.7% |
| 2001 | 5.1% | +4.6% |
| 2002 | 5.3% | +4.1% |
| 2003 | 5.6% | +5.6% |
| 2004 | 5.9% | +5.7% |
| 2005 | 6.2% | +4.9% |
| 2006 | 6.2% | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 6.3% | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 6.4% | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 6.9% | +7.2% |
| 2010 | 7.4% | +8.7% |
| 2011 | 7.9% | +5.5% |
| 2012 | 8.5% | +7.6% |
| 2013 | 8.9% | +5.1% |
| 2014 | 9.3% | +5.1% |
| 2015 | 9.7% | +4.4% |
| 2016 | 9.8% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 9.8% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 9.9% | +2.0% |
| 2019 | 9.1% | -8.6% |
| 2020 | 8.7% | -4.6% |
| 2021 | 10.2% | +17.4% |
| 2022 | 9.7% | -4.4% |
| 2023 | 9.9% | +2.0% |
| 2024 | 10.0% | +0.9% |
| 2025 | 10.3% | +2.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6.5% | 5.4% | 7.3% | 9 |
| 2000s | 5.9% | 4.9% | 6.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.0% | 7.4% | 9.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.8% | 8.7% | 10.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 160 Sierra Leone 11.5% compare
- 161 Yemen 11.1% compare
- 162 Macau, China 11.0% compare
- 164 Vanuatu 10.0% compare
- 165 Equatorial Guinea 9.9% compare
- 166 Madagascar 9.9% compare
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 employment in industry (% of total employment) in Zambia?
- Employment in industry (% of total employment) in Zambia was 10.3% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employment in industry (% of total employment) recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 10.3% in 2025.
- What is the lowest employment in industry (% of total employment) recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.9% in 2000.
- How does Zambia rank for employment in industry (% of total employment)?
- Zambia ranks 163rd out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment in industry (% of total employment) rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.6%. 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 (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
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).