Informal employment in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Informal employment was 69.8% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Informal employment in Zimbabwe, 2019–2024
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO). Measured in % of total non-agricultural employment.
Analysis
The most recent figure for informal employment in Zimbabwe is 69.8%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.
That represents a change of down 3.8% on the previous year and down 5.6% over ten years.
Zimbabwe ranks 3rd of 45 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Informal employment in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | % of total non-agricultural employment | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 73.9% | — |
| 2021 | 76.4% | +3.3% |
| 2022 | 76.5% | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 72.5% | -5.1% |
| 2024 | 69.8% | -3.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 73.9% | 73.9% | 73.9% | 1 |
| 2020s | 73.8% | 69.8% | 76.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
More work & labour data for Zimbabwe
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.1887 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.1727 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.2032 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 0.0937 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.81 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 13,627 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 16,032 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 19,130 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 18,036 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 37,167 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is informal employment in Zimbabwe?
- Informal employment in Zimbabwe was 69.8% in 2024, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest informal employment recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 76.5% in 2022.
- What is the lowest informal employment recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 69.8% in 2024.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for informal employment?
- Zimbabwe ranks 3rd out of 45 countries with data for 2024.
- Is informal employment rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zimbabwe data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Informal employment (% of total non-agricultural employment). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
This indicator shows the share of workers at working age in informal employment in non-agricultural activities out of total employment in non-agricultural activities, expressed as a percentage. Informal employment comprises workers whose main or secondary jobs are informal. For own-account workers and employers, informality is determined by enterprise characteristics (unincorporated, market-based, and unregistered); for contributing family workers, it is determined by the absence of written contracts and lack of coverage under labor legislation; and for employees, it is determined by whether the employment relationship is not subject to national labor legislation, income taxation, or social protection. The data are based on the statistical standards adopted by the 19th International Conference of Labour Statisticians (ICLS).