Share of employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition) in Zambia

Zambia: Share of employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition) was 60.75 in 2024. ▬ Flat

Latest (2024)
60.75
Change on year
down 1.6%
World rank
3rd
of 46 countries
All-time high
62.45
in 2022
All-time low
57.93
in 2017
Years of data
8
2017–2024

Share of employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition) in Zambia, 2017–2024

02040602017202020242017: 57.92018: 61.32019: 59.62020: 602021: 62.42022: 62.42023: 61.82024: 60.8

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

Zambia recorded 60.75 for share of employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition) in 2024.

The figure is down 1.6% on the previous year and up 4.9% over ten years.

That places Zambia 3rd out of 46 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.

Share of employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition) in Zambia, year by year

Annual values for Share of employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+) in Zambia, 2017 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2017 57.93
2018 61.28 +5.8%
2019 59.59 -2.8%
2020 60.03 +0.7%
2021 62.38 +3.9%
2022 62.45 +0.1%
2023 61.77 -1.1%
2024 60.75 -1.6%

Zambia compared with similar countries

  • Zambia's 60.75 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 60.75, 1.0× the median. (5 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 59.6 57.93 61.28 3
2020s 61.48 60.03 62.45 5

Countries ranked near Zambia

  1. 1 Angola 79.14 compare
  2. 2 Rwanda 78.9 compare
  3. 4 Viet Nam 59.18 compare
  4. 5 Zimbabwe 58.48 compare
  5. 6 El Salvador 52.05 compare

See the full ranking of 46 places →

More work & labour data for Zambia

All data for Zambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition) in Zambia?
Share of employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition) in Zambia was 60.75 in 2024, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest share of employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition) recorded in Zambia?
The highest recorded value was 62.45 in 2022.
What is the lowest share of employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition) recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was 57.93 in 2017.
How does Zambia rank for share of employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition)?
Zambia ranks 3rd out of 46 countries with data for 2024.
Is share of employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition) rising or falling in Zambia?
Over the last ten years it is up 4.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Zambia data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Share of employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition) in Zambia. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-employment-outside-the-formal-sector-current-ilo-definition-icls19-15/zambia/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
46 places, 456 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. This harmonized series for employment outside the formal sector is derived using the same set of criteria across countries to improve comparability. The criteria used are based on employment status, institutional sector, destination of production, bookkeeping, registration, social security contribution, places of work and size. For more information, refer to the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database description.