Share of youth not in education, employment or training, female (% of) in Zambia
Zambia: Share of youth not in education, employment or training, female (% of) was 32.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Share of youth not in education, employment or training, female (% of) in Zambia, 2005–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of youth not in education, employment or training, female (% of) in Zambia is 32.5%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and down 13.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of youth not in education, employment or training, female (% of) in Zambia peaked at 43.4% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 32.4%, in 2023.
Zambia ranks 43rd of 187 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 21 years of available data.
Share of youth not in education, employment or training, female (% of) in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 43.4% | — |
| 2006 | 42.2% | -2.8% |
| 2007 | 40.9% | -3.1% |
| 2008 | 39.5% | -3.3% |
| 2009 | 40.8% | +3.2% |
| 2010 | 42.0% | +3.1% |
| 2011 | 40.5% | -3.7% |
| 2012 | 38.9% | -4.0% |
| 2013 | 38.5% | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 38.1% | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 37.8% | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 37.4% | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 37.0% | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 37.1% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 37.9% | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 36.0% | -5.2% |
| 2021 | 36.1% | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 33.5% | -7.5% |
| 2023 | 32.4% | -3.2% |
| 2024 | 32.5% | +0.3% |
| 2025 | 32.5% | +0.3% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 32.5% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 31.1%, 1.0× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 32.5% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 31.3%, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 41.3% | 39.5% | 43.4% | 5 |
| 2010s | 38.5% | 37.0% | 42.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 33.8% | 32.4% | 36.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 40 Sierra Leone 33.1% compare
- 41 Democratic Republic of Congo 32.8% compare
- 42 Congo 32.6% compare
- 44 Samoa 32.5% compare
- 45 Oman 32.4% compare
- 46 El Salvador 32.2% 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 share of youth not in education, employment or training, female (% of) in Zambia?
- Share of youth not in education, employment or training, female (% of) in Zambia was 32.5% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest share of youth not in education, employment or training, female (% of) recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 43.4% in 2005.
- What is the lowest share of youth not in education, employment or training, female (% of) recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 32.4% in 2023.
- How does Zambia rank for share of youth not in education, employment or training, female (% of)?
- Zambia ranks 43rd out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of youth not in education, employment or training, female (% of) rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.8%. 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 Share of youth not in education, employment or training, female (% of female youth population) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The share of youth not in education, employment or training (also known as “the NEET rate”) conveys the number of young persons not in education, employment or training as a percentage of the total youth population. Youth not in education are those who were neither enrolled in school nor in a formal training program (e.g. vocational training). For the purposes of this indicator, youth is defined as all persons between the ages of 15 and 24 (inclusive).