Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Zambia
Zambia: Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) was 10.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Zambia, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Zambia stood at 10.8%.
That represents a change of up 4.3% on the previous year and down 15.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Zambia peaked at 32.1% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 8.8%, in 2021.
That places Zambia 104th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 26.3% | — |
| 1992 | 28.9% | +10.0% |
| 1993 | 30.9% | +6.7% |
| 1994 | 29.2% | -5.4% |
| 1995 | 26.4% | -9.5% |
| 1996 | 24.1% | -8.9% |
| 1997 | 21.7% | -9.9% |
| 1998 | 20.3% | -6.4% |
| 1999 | 21.8% | +7.4% |
| 2000 | 23.3% | +6.7% |
| 2001 | 24.8% | +6.6% |
| 2002 | 26.8% | +7.9% |
| 2003 | 28.5% | +6.5% |
| 2004 | 30.4% | +6.5% |
| 2005 | 32.1% | +5.9% |
| 2006 | 27.3% | -15.2% |
| 2007 | 22.1% | -18.8% |
| 2008 | 16.9% | -23.7% |
| 2009 | 23.1% | +36.8% |
| 2010 | 29.5% | +27.7% |
| 2011 | 23.5% | -20.3% |
| 2012 | 17.4% | -25.9% |
| 2013 | 16.0% | -8.2% |
| 2014 | 14.3% | -10.6% |
| 2015 | 12.7% | -11.3% |
| 2016 | 10.8% | -14.5% |
| 2017 | 8.9% | -18.2% |
| 2018 | 9.4% | +6.0% |
| 2019 | 12.2% | +29.4% |
| 2020 | 11.3% | -7.2% |
| 2021 | 8.8% | -21.9% |
| 2022 | 9.8% | +11.3% |
| 2023 | 10.3% | +4.5% |
| 2024 | 10.3% | +0.7% |
| 2025 | 10.8% | +4.3% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 10.8% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 9.6%, 1.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 10.8% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 9.0%, 1.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 25.5% | 20.3% | 30.9% | 9 |
| 2000s | 25.5% | 16.9% | 32.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.5% | 8.9% | 29.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.2% | 8.8% | 11.3% | 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, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Zambia?
- Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Zambia was 10.8% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 32.1% in 2005.
- What is the lowest unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.8% in 2021.
- How does Zambia rank for unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24)?
- Zambia ranks 104th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labor force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment.