Employment in services (% of total employment) in Zambia
Zambia: Employment in services (% of total employment) was 35.2% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment in services (% of total employment) in Zambia, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Zambia recorded 35.2% for employment in services (% of total employment) in 2025. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.5% on the previous year and up 21.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in services (% of total employment) in Zambia peaked at 35.2% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 16.8%, in 2005.
Zambia ranks 165th 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 services (% of total employment) in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 18.2% | — |
| 1992 | 18.0% | -0.9% |
| 1993 | 17.9% | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 18.6% | +3.6% |
| 1995 | 18.6% | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 18.9% | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 19.0% | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 18.9% | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 18.8% | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 19.1% | +1.8% |
| 2001 | 18.4% | -3.9% |
| 2002 | 17.8% | -3.2% |
| 2003 | 17.3% | -2.5% |
| 2004 | 17.0% | -1.8% |
| 2005 | 16.8% | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 16.9% | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 17.1% | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 17.2% | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 19.6% | +14.0% |
| 2010 | 22.4% | +13.9% |
| 2011 | 25.2% | +12.8% |
| 2012 | 28.6% | +13.2% |
| 2013 | 28.5% | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 28.6% | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 28.9% | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 29.2% | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 29.4% | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 30.3% | +3.1% |
| 2019 | 33.5% | +10.8% |
| 2020 | 32.2% | -4.0% |
| 2021 | 32.0% | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 34.2% | +6.9% |
| 2023 | 34.1% | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 34.7% | +1.6% |
| 2025 | 35.2% | +1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 18.5% | 17.9% | 19.0% | 9 |
| 2000s | 17.7% | 16.8% | 19.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 28.5% | 22.4% | 33.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 33.7% | 32.0% | 35.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 162 Republic of Moldova 36.9% compare
- 163 Myanmar 36.9% compare
- 164 Lesotho 36.1% compare
- 166 Equatorial Guinea 34.7% compare
- 167 South Sudan 34.6% compare
- 168 Zimbabwe 34.2% 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 services (% of total employment) in Zambia?
- Employment in services (% of total employment) in Zambia was 35.2% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employment in services (% of total employment) recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 35.2% in 2025.
- What is the lowest employment in services (% of total employment) recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.8% in 2005.
- How does Zambia rank for employment in services (% of total employment)?
- Zambia ranks 165th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment in services (% of total employment) rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.6%. 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 services (% 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 services sector consists of wholesale and retail trade and restaurants and hotels; transport, storage, and communications; financing, insurance, real estate, and business services; and community, social, and personal services, in accordance with divisions 6-9 (ISIC 2) or categories G-Q (ISIC 3) or categories G-U (ISIC 4).