Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Zambia
Zambia: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) was 5.7% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Zambia, 1986–2024
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2024, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Zambia stood at 5.7%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.3% on the previous year and down 52.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Zambia peaked at 19.7% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 4.5%, in 2017.
That places Zambia 88th out of 187 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 20 years of available data.
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 13.0% | — |
| 1990 | 15.0% | +15.4% |
| 1991 | 19.4% | +29.3% |
| 1993 | 19.7% | +1.5% |
| 1996 | 15.3% | -22.3% |
| 1998 | 12.0% | -21.6% |
| 2000 | 12.9% | +7.8% |
| 2005 | 15.9% | +23.0% |
| 2008 | 7.9% | -50.1% |
| 2010 | 13.2% | +66.2% |
| 2012 | 7.9% | -40.4% |
| 2015 | 11.9% | +51.3% |
| 2017 | 4.5% | -61.9% |
| 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 | 5.7% | -3.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 13.0% | 13.0% | 13.0% | 1 |
| 1990s | 16.3% | 12.0% | 19.7% | 5 |
| 2000s | 12.3% | 7.9% | 15.9% | 3 |
| 2010s | 8.0% | 4.5% | 13.2% | 6 |
| 2020s | 5.8% | 5.2% | 6.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 85 Senegal 5.8% compare
- 86 Azerbaijan 5.7% compare
- 87 Afghanistan 5.7% compare
- 89 Puerto Rico 5.6% compare
- 90 Kenya 5.6% compare
- 91 Guam 5.4% compare
- 91 Slovakia 5.4% 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 unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Zambia?
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Zambia was 5.7% in 2024, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 19.7% in 1993.
- What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.5% in 2017.
- How does Zambia rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- Zambia ranks 88th out of 187 countries with data for 2024.
- Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 52.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 20 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.