Unemployment rate in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Unemployment rate was 9.29 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
9.29
Change on year
down 1.5%
World rank
42nd
of 186 countries
All-time high
10.09
in 2022
All-time low
4.39
in 2004
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment rate in Zimbabwe, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment rate in Zimbabwe stood at 9.29.
The figure is down 1.5% on the previous year and up 72.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Zimbabwe peaked at 10.09 in 2022 and was at its lowest, 4.39, in 2004.
Zimbabwe ranks 42nd of 186 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 4.79 | — |
| 1992 | 4.93 | +2.9% |
| 1993 | 4.99 | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 4.96 | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 5.57 | +12.2% |
| 1996 | 6.15 | +10.5% |
| 1997 | 6.93 | +12.7% |
| 1998 | 6.38 | -7.9% |
| 1999 | 6 | -6.0% |
| 2000 | 5.68 | -5.3% |
| 2001 | 5.31 | -6.5% |
| 2002 | 5 | -5.8% |
| 2003 | 4.74 | -5.3% |
| 2004 | 4.39 | -7.3% |
| 2005 | 4.63 | +5.5% |
| 2006 | 4.77 | +2.9% |
| 2007 | 5.01 | +5.1% |
| 2008 | 5.4 | +7.8% |
| 2009 | 5.48 | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 5.47 | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 5.37 | -1.8% |
| 2012 | 5.06 | -5.8% |
| 2013 | 4.95 | -2.2% |
| 2014 | 4.77 | -3.5% |
| 2015 | 5.4 | +13.1% |
| 2016 | 5.9 | +9.2% |
| 2017 | 6.35 | +7.7% |
| 2018 | 6.79 | +6.9% |
| 2019 | 7.37 | +8.6% |
| 2020 | 8.62 | +16.9% |
| 2021 | 9.54 | +10.7% |
| 2022 | 10.09 | +5.7% |
| 2023 | 9.35 | -7.3% |
| 2024 | 9.44 | +0.9% |
| 2025 | 9.29 | -1.5% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 9.29 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.06, 1.8× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 9.29 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.45, 1.7× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5.63 | 4.79 | 6.93 | 9 |
| 2000s | 5.04 | 4.39 | 5.68 | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.74 | 4.77 | 7.37 | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.39 | 8.62 | 10.09 | 6 |
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 unemployment rate in Zimbabwe?
- Unemployment rate in Zimbabwe was 9.29 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 10.09 in 2022.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.39 in 2004.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for unemployment rate?
- Zimbabwe ranks 42nd out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 72.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zimbabwe 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).