Unemployment rate in Zambia
Zambia: Unemployment rate was 5.92 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
5.92
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
79th
of 186 countries
All-time high
19.7
in 1993
All-time low
4.53
in 2017
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment rate in Zambia, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment rate in Zambia stood at 5.92.
The figure is up 0.3% on the previous year and down 0.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Zambia peaked at 19.7 in 1993 and was at its lowest, 4.53, in 2017.
Zambia ranks 79th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 18.9 | — |
| 1992 | 19.57 | +3.5% |
| 1993 | 19.7 | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 18.69 | -5.1% |
| 1995 | 16.83 | -9.9% |
| 1996 | 15.3 | -9.1% |
| 1997 | 13.27 | -13.2% |
| 1998 | 12 | -9.6% |
| 1999 | 12.5 | +4.1% |
| 2000 | 12.93 | +3.5% |
| 2001 | 13.4 | +3.7% |
| 2002 | 14.13 | +5.4% |
| 2003 | 14.7 | +4.1% |
| 2004 | 15.33 | +4.3% |
| 2005 | 15.9 | +3.7% |
| 2006 | 13.23 | -16.8% |
| 2007 | 10.56 | -20.2% |
| 2008 | 7.93 | -24.9% |
| 2009 | 10.58 | +33.5% |
| 2010 | 13.19 | +24.6% |
| 2011 | 10.55 | -20.0% |
| 2012 | 7.85 | -25.6% |
| 2013 | 7.27 | -7.4% |
| 2014 | 6.58 | -9.6% |
| 2015 | 5.95 | -9.5% |
| 2016 | 5.24 | -11.9% |
| 2017 | 4.53 | -13.6% |
| 2018 | 5.03 | +11.1% |
| 2019 | 5.54 | +10.1% |
| 2020 | 6.03 | +8.9% |
| 2021 | 5.2 | -13.8% |
| 2022 | 5.99 | +15.3% |
| 2023 | 5.86 | -2.2% |
| 2024 | 5.9 | +0.6% |
| 2025 | 5.92 | +0.3% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 5.92 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.06, 1.2× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 5.92 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.45, 1.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 16.31 | 12 | 19.7 | 9 |
| 2000s | 12.87 | 7.93 | 15.9 | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.17 | 4.53 | 13.19 | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.82 | 5.2 | 6.03 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
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 unemployment rate in Zambia?
- Unemployment rate in Zambia was 5.92 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 19.7 in 1993.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.53 in 2017.
- How does Zambia rank for unemployment rate?
- Zambia ranks 79th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).