Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Zambia

Zambia: Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) was 82.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
82.9%
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
82nd
of 196 countries
All-time high
90.1%
in 2010
All-time low
40.1%
in 1969
Years of data
19
1969–2024

Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Zambia, 1969–2024

0204060801001969199620241969: 40.11980: 48.61990: 51.31991: 79.11998: 83.82000: 672005: 862008: 89.22010: 90.12012: 86.92015: 77.72017: 81.32018: 80.22019: 77.72020: 80.52021: 81.72022: 82.72023: 83.22024: 82.9

Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).

Analysis

Zambia recorded 82.9% for ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in 2024.

The figure is down 0.4% on the previous year and up 6.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Zambia peaked at 90.1% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 40.1%, in 1969.

That places Zambia 82nd out of 196 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 19 years of available data.

Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Zambia, year by year

Annual values for Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) (national estimate) in Zambia, 1969 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1969 40.1%
1980 48.6% +21.2%
1990 51.3% +5.6%
1991 79.1% +54.2%
1998 83.8% +5.9%
2000 67.0% -20.1%
2005 86.0% +28.5%
2008 89.2% +3.7%
2010 90.1% +1.0%
2012 86.9% -3.6%
2015 77.7% -10.6%
2017 81.3% +4.6%
2018 80.2% -1.4%
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 82.9% -0.4%

Zambia compared with similar countries

  • Zambia's 82.9% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 74.2%, 1.1× the median. (44 countries reporting)
  • Zambia's 82.9% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 84.0%, 99% of the median. (41 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Zambia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1991 +54.2% 51.3% 79.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 40.1% 40.1% 40.1% 1
1980s 48.6% 48.6% 48.6% 1
1990s 71.4% 51.3% 83.8% 3
2000s 80.7% 67.0% 89.2% 3
2010s 82.3% 77.7% 90.1% 6
2020s 82.2% 80.5% 83.2% 5

Countries ranked near Zambia

  1. 79 Croatia 83.7% compare
  2. 80 Jamaica 83.7% compare
  3. 81 Saint Lucia 83.5% compare
  4. 83 Slovakia 82.7% compare
  5. 84 Albania 81.9% compare
  6. 85 Czechia 81.9% compare

See the full ranking of 220 places →

More work & labour data for Zambia

All data for Zambia →

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 82.9% in 2024, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), 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 90.1% in 2010.
What is the lowest ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was 40.1% in 1969.
How does Zambia rank for ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%)?
Zambia ranks 82nd out of 196 countries with data for 2024.
Is ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) rising or falling in Zambia?
Over the last ten years it is up 6.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Zambia data come from?
The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) in Zambia. Statizoid, drawing on Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO). Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/ratio-of-female-to-male-labor-force-participation-rate-percent-national-estimate/zambia/

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About this data

Indicator
Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) (national estimate)
Source
Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
220 places, 5,351 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate is the proportion of female labor force participation relative to male labor force participation. The labor force participation rate is the labor force as a percent of the population ages 15 and older. The labor force is the sum of all persons of working age who are employed and those who are unemployed.