Unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) in Zambia

Zambia: Unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) was 11.2% in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
11.2%
Change on year
up 14.9%
World rank
104th
of 157 countries
All-time high
34.7%
in 2015
All-time low
8.0%
in 2017
Years of data
11
2000–2024

Unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) in Zambia, 2000–2024

1020302000201220242000: 19.52012: 15.82015: 34.72017: 82018: 82019: 8.22020: 10.62021: 102022: 9.92023: 9.82024: 11.2

Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).

Analysis

In 2024, unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) in Zambia stood at 11.2%.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 14.9% on the previous year and down 67.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) in Zambia peaked at 34.7% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 8.0%, in 2017.

That places Zambia 104th out of 157 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) in Zambia, year by year

Annual values for Unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate) in Zambia, 2000 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2000 19.5%
2012 15.8% -18.7%
2015 34.7% +118.8%
2017 8.0% -76.9%
2018 8.0% +0.4%
2019 8.2% +2.3%
2020 10.6% +29.6%
2021 10.0% -6.2%
2022 9.9% -1.1%
2023 9.8% -1.2%
2024 11.2% +14.9%

Zambia compared with similar countries

  • Zambia's 11.2% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 11.5%, 97% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
  • Zambia's 11.2% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 11.5%, 98% of the median. (26 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 19.5% 19.5% 19.5% 1
2010s 14.9% 8.0% 34.7% 5
2020s 10.3% 9.8% 11.2% 5

Countries ranked near Zambia

  1. 101 Trinidad and Tobago 11.6% compare
  2. 102 Cayman Islands 11.4% compare
  3. 103 Austria 11.4% compare
  4. 105 Ghana 10.9% compare
  5. 106 Hong Kong 10.9% compare
  6. 107 Ecuador 10.9% compare

See the full ranking of 178 places →

More work & labour data for Zambia

All data for Zambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) in Zambia?
Unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) in Zambia was 11.2% in 2024, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
What is the highest unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) recorded in Zambia?
The highest recorded value was 34.7% in 2015.
What is the lowest unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was 8.0% in 2017.
How does Zambia rank for unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24)?
Zambia ranks 104th out of 157 countries with data for 2024.
Is unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) rising or falling in Zambia?
Over the last ten years it is down 67.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
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, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 11 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) in Zambia. Statizoid, drawing on Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO). Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/unemployment-youth-female-percent-of-female-labor-force-ages-15-24-national-estimate/zambia/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/unemployment-youth-female-percent-of-female-labor-force-ages-15-24-national-estimate/zambia/">Unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) in Zambia</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate)
Source
Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
178 places, 4,080 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labor force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.