Own-account workers, total in Zambia

Zambia: Own-account workers, total was 42.7% in 2016. ▲ Rising

Latest (2016)
42.7%
Change on year
down 1.7%
World rank
38th
of 186 countries
All-time high
46.6%
in 2005
All-time low
38.8%
in 2001
Years of data
26
1991–2016

Own-account workers, total in Zambia, 1991–2016

010203040501991200320161991: 41 % of total employment1992: 40.5 % of total employment1993: 43.6 % of total employment1994: 41.1 % of total employment1995: 42.8 % of total employment1996: 43.4 % of total employment1997: 41.7 % of total employment1998: 41.1 % of total employment1999: 40.5 % of total employment2000: 38.9 % of total employment2001: 38.8 % of total employment2002: 46.6 % of total employment2003: 46.2 % of total employment2004: 46.5 % of total employment2005: 46.6 % of total employment2006: 45.6 % of total employment2007: 43.6 % of total employment2008: 43.8 % of total employment2009: 44.5 % of total employment2010: 45.3 % of total employment2011: 44 % of total employment2012: 45 % of total employment2013: 44.3 % of total employment2014: 43.6 % of total employment2015: 43.5 % of total employment2016: 42.7 % of total employment

Source: World Bank. Measured in % of total employment.

Analysis

In 2016, own-account workers, total in Zambia stood at 42.7%.

The figure is down 1.7% on the previous year and down 6.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, own-account workers, total in Zambia peaked at 46.6% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 38.8%, in 2001.

Zambia ranks 38th of 186 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.

Own-account workers, total in Zambia, year by year

Annual values for Own-account workers, total (% of total employment) in Zambia, 1991 to 2016.
Year % of total employment Change
1991 41.0%
1992 40.5% -1.2%
1993 43.6% +7.6%
1994 41.1% -5.9%
1995 42.8% +4.1%
1996 43.4% +1.4%
1997 41.7% -3.9%
1998 41.1% -1.4%
1999 40.5% -1.6%
2000 38.9% -3.8%
2001 38.8% -0.3%
2002 46.6% +20.0%
2003 46.2% -0.9%
2004 46.5% +0.8%
2005 46.6% +0.2%
2006 45.6% -2.2%
2007 43.6% -4.5%
2008 43.8% +0.5%
2009 44.5% +1.7%
2010 45.3% +1.8%
2011 44.0% -3.0%
2012 45.0% +2.3%
2013 44.3% -1.5%
2014 43.6% -1.5%
2015 43.5% -0.4%
2016 42.7% -1.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 41.7% 40.5% 43.6% 9
2000s 44.1% 38.8% 46.6% 10
2010s 44.1% 42.7% 45.3% 7

Countries ranked near Zambia

  1. 35 Bangladesh 43.7% compare
  2. 36 Colombia 43.5% compare
  3. 37 Ghana 42.9% compare
  4. 39 Madagascar 42.2% compare
  5. 40 Dominican Republic 40.0% compare
  6. 41 Afghanistan 39.9% compare

See the full ranking of 213 places →

More work & labour data for Zambia

All data for Zambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is own-account workers, total in Zambia?
Own-account workers, total in Zambia was 42.7% in 2016, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest own-account workers, total recorded in Zambia?
The highest recorded value was 46.6% in 2005.
What is the lowest own-account workers, total recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was 38.8% in 2001.
How does Zambia rank for own-account workers, total?
Zambia ranks 38th out of 186 countries with data for 2016.
Is own-account workers, total rising or falling in Zambia?
Over the last ten years it is down 6.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Zambia data come from?
The figures come from the World Bank, published as part of Own-account workers, total (% of total employment). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Own-account workers, total in Zambia. Statizoid. Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/own-account-workers-total-percent-of-total-employment/zambia/

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About this data

Indicator
Own-account workers, total (% of total employment)
Unit
% of total employment
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
213 places, 5,537 data points, 1991–2016
Last refreshed