Labor force participation rate in Zambia
Zambia: Labor force participation rate was 61.93 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
61.93
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
90th
of 186 countries
All-time high
61.96
in 2023
All-time low
58.48
in 2018
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Labor force participation rate in Zambia, 1990–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, labor force participation rate in Zambia stood at 61.93.
That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and up 5.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate in Zambia peaked at 61.96 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 58.48, in 2018.
That places Zambia 90th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
Labor force participation rate in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 59.65 | — |
| 1991 | 59.63 | -0.0% |
| 1992 | 59.61 | -0.0% |
| 1993 | 59.6 | -0.0% |
| 1994 | 59.6 | -0.0% |
| 1995 | 59.6 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 59.61 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 59.61 | -0.0% |
| 1998 | 59.6 | -0.0% |
| 1999 | 59.58 | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 59.55 | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 59.5 | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 59.44 | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 59.39 | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 59.34 | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 59.3 | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 59.26 | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 59.21 | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 59.16 | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 59.11 | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 59.06 | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 59.02 | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 58.97 | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 58.91 | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 58.84 | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 58.76 | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 58.67 | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 58.58 | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 58.48 | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 59.54 | +1.8% |
| 2020 | 60.87 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | 60.1 | -1.3% |
| 2022 | 59.53 | -0.9% |
| 2023 | 61.96 | +4.1% |
| 2024 | 61.9 | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 61.93 | +0.1% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 61.93 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 57.67, 1.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 61.93 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 64.31, 96% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 59.61 | 59.58 | 59.65 | 10 |
| 2000s | 59.33 | 59.11 | 59.55 | 10 |
| 2010s | 58.88 | 58.48 | 59.54 | 10 |
| 2020s | 61.05 | 59.53 | 61.96 | 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 labor force participation rate in Zambia?
- Labor force participation rate in Zambia was 61.93 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest labor force participation rate recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 61.96 in 2023.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 58.48 in 2018.
- How does Zambia rank for labor force participation rate?
- Zambia ranks 90th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Labor force participation rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).