Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Zambia
Zambia: Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) was 83.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Zambia, 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Zambia stood at 83.4%. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 6.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Zambia peaked at 83.4% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 73.6%, in 1990.
That places Zambia 72nd out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 73.6% | — |
| 1991 | 73.7% | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 73.8% | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 73.9% | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 73.9% | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 73.8% | -0.0% |
| 1996 | 73.8% | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 73.8% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 73.9% | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 74.0% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 74.1% | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 74.4% | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 74.7% | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 74.9% | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 75.2% | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 75.4% | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 75.7% | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 75.9% | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 76.2% | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 76.5% | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 76.7% | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 77.0% | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 77.2% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 77.6% | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 78.0% | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 78.4% | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 79.0% | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 79.5% | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 80.2% | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 77.7% | -3.1% |
| 2020 | 80.5% | +3.7% |
| 2021 | 81.7% | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 82.7% | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 83.2% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 83.3% | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 83.4% | +0.1% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 83.4% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 77.8%, 1.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 83.4% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 86.1%, 97% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 73.8% | 73.6% | 74.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 75.3% | 74.1% | 76.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 78.1% | 76.7% | 80.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 82.5% | 80.5% | 83.4% | 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 ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Zambia?
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Zambia was 83.4% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 83.4% in 2025.
- What is the lowest ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 73.6% in 1990.
- How does Zambia rank for ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%)?
- Zambia ranks 72nd out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Labor force participation rate is the proportion of the population ages 15 and older that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.