Potential labour force (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in Zambia

Zambia: Potential labour force (current ILO definition - ICLS19) was 2,127 in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
2,127
Change on year
up 3.8%
World rank
3rd
of 61 countries
All-time high
2,127
in 2024
All-time low
1,299
in 2020
Years of data
8
2017–2024

Potential labour force (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in Zambia, 2017–2024

05001.0k1.5k2.0k2017202020242017: 1.6k2018: 1.6k2019: 1.7k2020: 1.3k2021: 1.6k2022: 1.8k2023: 2.0k2024: 2.1k

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

The most recent figure for potential labour force (current ilo definition - icls19) in Zambia is 2,127, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 8 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.8% on the previous year and up 35.2% over ten years.

That places Zambia 3rd out of 61 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.

Potential labour force (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in Zambia, year by year

Annual values for Potential labour force (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+) in Zambia, 2017 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2017 1,574
2018 1,642 +4.3%
2019 1,689 +2.9%
2020 1,299 -23.1%
2021 1,560 +20.1%
2022 1,808 +16.0%
2023 2,049 +13.3%
2024 2,127 +3.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 1,635 1,574 1,689 3
2020s 1,769 1,299 2,127 5

Countries ranked near Zambia

  1. 1 Brazil 5,454 compare
  2. 2 Angola 3,642 compare
  3. 4 Italy 2,057 compare
  4. 5 United States 1,732 compare
  5. 6 Rwanda 1,506 compare

See the full ranking of 61 places →

More work & labour data for Zambia

All data for Zambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is potential labour force (current ilo definition - icls19) in Zambia?
Potential labour force (current ilo definition - icls19) in Zambia was 2,127 in 2024, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest potential labour force (current ilo definition - icls19) recorded in Zambia?
The highest recorded value was 2,127 in 2024.
What is the lowest potential labour force (current ilo definition - icls19) recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was 1,299 in 2020.
How does Zambia rank for potential labour force (current ilo definition - icls19)?
Zambia ranks 3rd out of 61 countries with data for 2024.
Is potential labour force (current ilo definition - icls19) rising or falling in Zambia?
Over the last ten years it is up 35.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Zambia data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Potential labour force (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Potential labour force (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in Zambia. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/potential-labour-force-current-ilo-definition-icls19-15/zambia/

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About this data

Indicator
Potential labour force (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
61 places, 595 data points, 2014–2025
Last refreshed

With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series includes only countries for which the 19th ICLS definitions are applied. The potential labour force refers to persons not in employment who express an interest in this form of work but for whom existing conditions limit their active job search and/or their availability. This group is used to calculate alternative measures of labour underutilization. For more information, refer to the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database description.