Employment to population ratio in Zambia
Zambia: Employment to population ratio was 58.27 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
58.27
Change on year
up 0.0%
World rank
89th
of 186 countries
All-time high
58.33
in 2023
All-time low
47.86
in 1993
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Employment to population ratio in Zambia, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 58.27 for employment to population ratio in 2025.
The figure is up 5.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment to population ratio in Zambia peaked at 58.33 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 47.86, in 1993.
Zambia ranks 89th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Employment to population ratio in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 48.36 | — |
| 1992 | 47.95 | -0.9% |
| 1993 | 47.86 | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 48.46 | +1.3% |
| 1995 | 49.57 | +2.3% |
| 1996 | 50.49 | +1.9% |
| 1997 | 51.7 | +2.4% |
| 1998 | 52.45 | +1.4% |
| 1999 | 52.13 | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 51.85 | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 51.52 | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 51.04 | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 50.66 | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 50.25 | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 49.87 | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 51.42 | +3.1% |
| 2007 | 52.96 | +3.0% |
| 2008 | 54.47 | +2.9% |
| 2009 | 52.85 | -3.0% |
| 2010 | 51.27 | -3.0% |
| 2011 | 52.79 | +3.0% |
| 2012 | 54.34 | +2.9% |
| 2013 | 54.63 | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 54.97 | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 55.27 | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 55.6 | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 55.92 | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 55.53 | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 56.25 | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 57.2 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | 56.98 | -0.4% |
| 2022 | 55.96 | -1.8% |
| 2023 | 58.33 | +4.2% |
| 2024 | 58.25 | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 58.27 | +0.0% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 58.27 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 54.36, 1.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 58.27 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 58.81, 99% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 49.89 | 47.86 | 52.45 | 9 |
| 2000s | 51.69 | 49.87 | 54.47 | 10 |
| 2010s | 54.66 | 51.27 | 56.25 | 10 |
| 2020s | 57.5 | 55.96 | 58.33 | 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 employment to population ratio in Zambia?
- Employment to population ratio in Zambia was 58.27 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employment to population ratio recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 58.33 in 2023.
- What is the lowest employment to population ratio recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 47.86 in 1993.
- How does Zambia rank for employment to population ratio?
- Zambia ranks 89th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment to population ratio rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Employment to population ratio. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).