Unemployment rate in Zambia
Zambia: Unemployment rate was 5.9% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
5.9%
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
79th
of 186 countries
All-time high
19.7%
in 1993
All-time low
4.5%
in 2017
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment rate in Zambia, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment rate in Zambia stood at 5.9%.
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, 4.5%, 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 | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 18.9% | — |
| 1992 | 19.6% | +3.5% |
| 1993 | 19.7% | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 18.7% | -5.1% |
| 1995 | 16.8% | -9.9% |
| 1996 | 15.3% | -9.1% |
| 1997 | 13.3% | -13.2% |
| 1998 | 12.0% | -9.6% |
| 1999 | 12.5% | +4.1% |
| 2000 | 12.9% | +3.5% |
| 2001 | 13.4% | +3.7% |
| 2002 | 14.1% | +5.4% |
| 2003 | 14.7% | +4.1% |
| 2004 | 15.3% | +4.3% |
| 2005 | 15.9% | +3.7% |
| 2006 | 13.2% | -16.8% |
| 2007 | 10.6% | -20.2% |
| 2008 | 7.9% | -24.9% |
| 2009 | 10.6% | +33.5% |
| 2010 | 13.2% | +24.6% |
| 2011 | 10.5% | -20.0% |
| 2012 | 7.8% | -25.6% |
| 2013 | 7.3% | -7.4% |
| 2014 | 6.6% | -9.6% |
| 2015 | 6.0% | -9.5% |
| 2016 | 5.2% | -11.9% |
| 2017 | 4.5% | -13.6% |
| 2018 | 5.0% | +11.1% |
| 2019 | 5.5% | +10.1% |
| 2020 | 6.0% | +8.9% |
| 2021 | 5.2% | -13.8% |
| 2022 | 6.0% | +15.3% |
| 2023 | 5.9% | -2.2% |
| 2024 | 5.9% | +0.6% |
| 2025 | 5.9% | +0.3% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 5.9% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.1%, 1.2× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 5.9% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.4%, 1.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 16.3% | 12.0% | 19.7% | 9 |
| 2000s | 12.9% | 7.9% | 15.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.2% | 4.5% | 13.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.8% | 5.2% | 6.0% | 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 5.9% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by 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 4.5% 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 ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by 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).
About this data
Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon.