Share of workers in informal employment in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Share of workers in informal employment was 85.0% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Share of workers in informal employment in Zimbabwe, 2011–2024
Source: International Labour Organization – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Zimbabwe recorded 85.0% for share of workers in informal employment in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 7 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.4% on the previous year and down 2.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of workers in informal employment in Zimbabwe peaked at 88.4% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 85.0%, in 2024.
Zimbabwe ranks 8th of 82 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Share of workers in informal employment in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 85.6% | — |
| 2014 | 86.9% | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 88.0% | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 88.4% | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 88.2% | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 88.0% | -0.2% |
| 2024 | 85.0% | -3.4% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 85.0% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 83.9%, 1.0× the median. (15 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 85.0% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 84.6%, 1.0× the median. (12 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 86.9% | 85.6% | 88.0% | 3 |
| 2020s | 87.4% | 85.0% | 88.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
More work & labour data for Zimbabwe
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.1887 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.1727 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.2032 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 0.0937 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.81 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 13,627 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 16,032 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 19,130 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 18,036 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 37,167 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of workers in informal employment in Zimbabwe?
- Share of workers in informal employment in Zimbabwe was 85.0% in 2024, according to International Labour Organization – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of workers in informal employment recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 88.4% in 2021.
- What is the lowest share of workers in informal employment recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 85.0% in 2024.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for share of workers in informal employment?
- Zimbabwe ranks 8th out of 82 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of workers in informal employment rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Zimbabwe data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of workers in informal employment. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 7 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of employed people working in jobs that lack basic social or legal protection and employment benefits. Does not include illegal and illicit activities. Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.