Wage and salaried workers, male (% of male employment) in Zambia
Zambia: Wage and salaried workers, male (% of male employment) was 35.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Wage and salaried workers, male (% of male employment) in Zambia, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Zambia recorded 35.5% for wage and salaried workers, male (% of male employment) in 2025. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.1% on the previous year and up 4.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, wage and salaried workers, male (% of male employment) in Zambia peaked at 35.5% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 22.3%, in 2005.
That places Zambia 158th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Wage and salaried workers, male (% of male employment) in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 25.5% | — |
| 1992 | 25.4% | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 25.4% | -0.0% |
| 1994 | 25.1% | -1.1% |
| 1995 | 24.9% | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 24.7% | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 24.6% | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 24.4% | -0.9% |
| 1999 | 24.3% | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 24.2% | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 23.7% | -2.1% |
| 2002 | 23.3% | -1.7% |
| 2003 | 23.0% | -1.5% |
| 2004 | 22.7% | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 22.3% | -1.6% |
| 2006 | 22.6% | +1.6% |
| 2007 | 23.0% | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 23.3% | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 25.3% | +8.3% |
| 2010 | 27.2% | +7.8% |
| 2011 | 27.0% | -1.0% |
| 2012 | 26.7% | -1.2% |
| 2013 | 29.6% | +10.9% |
| 2014 | 32.0% | +8.2% |
| 2015 | 33.8% | +5.8% |
| 2016 | 34.1% | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 34.3% | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 34.6% | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 32.9% | -4.9% |
| 2020 | 31.5% | -4.1% |
| 2021 | 34.4% | +9.2% |
| 2022 | 33.5% | -2.7% |
| 2023 | 34.9% | +4.0% |
| 2024 | 35.1% | +0.7% |
| 2025 | 35.5% | +1.1% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 35.5% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 41.5%, 85% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 35.5% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 36.6%, 97% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 24.9% | 24.3% | 25.5% | 9 |
| 2000s | 23.3% | 22.3% | 25.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 31.2% | 26.7% | 34.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 34.2% | 31.5% | 35.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 155 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 36.7% compare
- 156 Côte d'Ivoire 36.6% compare
- 157 Congo 35.5% compare
- 159 Myanmar 34.3% compare
- 160 Guinea-Bissau 33.8% compare
- 161 Angola 33.5% 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 wage and salaried workers, male (% of male employment) in Zambia?
- Wage and salaried workers, male (% of male employment) in Zambia was 35.5% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest wage and salaried workers, male (% of male employment) recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 35.5% in 2025.
- What is the lowest wage and salaried workers, male (% of male employment) recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.3% in 2005.
- How does Zambia rank for wage and salaried workers, male (% of male employment)?
- Zambia ranks 158th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is wage and salaried workers, male (% of male employment) rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Wage and salaried workers, male (% of male employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Wage and salaried workers (employees) are those workers who hold the type of jobs defined as "paid employment jobs," where the incumbents hold explicit (written or oral) or implicit employment contracts that give them a basic remuneration that is not directly dependent upon the revenue of the unit for which they work.