Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Zambia
Zambia: Self-employed, total (% of total employment) was 71.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Zambia, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Zambia is 71.7%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.5% on the previous year and down 4.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Zambia peaked at 85.2% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 71.7%, in 2025.
That places Zambia 30th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 82.7% | — |
| 1992 | 82.9% | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 83.0% | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 83.2% | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 83.3% | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 83.4% | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 83.5% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 83.7% | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 83.8% | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 83.9% | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 84.3% | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 84.5% | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 84.8% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 85.0% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 85.2% | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 84.9% | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 84.7% | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 84.4% | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 82.9% | -1.7% |
| 2010 | 81.5% | -1.8% |
| 2011 | 81.6% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 81.9% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 79.3% | -3.1% |
| 2014 | 77.0% | -2.9% |
| 2015 | 74.9% | -2.7% |
| 2016 | 74.6% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 74.4% | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 74.2% | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 74.4% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 75.3% | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 73.4% | -2.6% |
| 2022 | 73.9% | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 72.3% | -2.2% |
| 2024 | 72.1% | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 71.7% | -0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 83.3% | 82.7% | 83.8% | 9 |
| 2000s | 84.5% | 82.9% | 85.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 77.4% | 74.2% | 81.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 73.1% | 71.7% | 75.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 27 Guinea-Bissau 75.5% compare
- 28 India 74.9% compare
- 29 Timor-Leste 74.9% compare
- 31 Côte d'Ivoire 71.0% compare
- 32 Zimbabwe 70.8% compare
- 33 Solomon Islands 69.9% compare
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 self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Zambia?
- Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Zambia was 71.7% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest self-employed, total (% of total employment) recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 85.2% in 2005.
- What is the lowest self-employed, total (% of total employment) recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 71.7% in 2025.
- How does Zambia rank for self-employed, total (% of total employment)?
- Zambia ranks 30th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Self-employed, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Self-employed workers are those workers who, working on their own account or with one or a few partners or in cooperative, hold the type of jobs defined as a "self-employment jobs." i.e. jobs where the remuneration is directly dependent upon the profits derived from the goods and services produced. Self-employed workers include sub-categories of employers, own-account workers and members of producers' cooperatives and contributing family workers.