Zambia Agriculture Employment
Employment in agriculture SL.AGR.EMPL.ZS
Zambia's agriculture employment was 54.53% in 2025, ranked 166th globally. This represents a 1.4% decrease from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1991–2025.
Overview
Zambia's agriculture employment stood at 54.53% in 2025, a decline of +0.80% from 2024. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 53.75% by 2026. Zambia ranked 166th globally.
Zambia’s share of the labour force employed in agriculture has fallen sharply over the 35‑year span from 1991 to 2025, dropping from 74.59 % to 54.53 % in the most recent year, which places the country 166th globally. The sector’s peak of 77.07 % was recorded in 2003, after which a steady decline accelerated in the 2010s, reflecting structural shifts toward services and industry and the impact of recurrent droughts on farm productivity. By 2025 Zambia’s agricultural employment rate is virtually identical to that of its regional peer Zimbabwe (54.31 %) and only marginally above North Korea’s 54.08 %, underscoring a regional convergence toward lower agrarian labour shares. The persistent downward trajectory suggests that without targeted investment in agritech, irrigation and value‑added processing, the proportion of workers in agriculture will likely continue to recede, further reshaping the country’s economic composition.
Data & projection
| Year | Agriculture Employment | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2028* trend | 52.29% | - | - |
| 2027* trend | 53.02% | - | - |
| 2026* trend | 53.75% | - | - |
| 2025 | 54.53% | −0.80% | #166 |
| 2024 | 55.32% | −0.64% | #167 |
| 2023 | 55.97% | −0.09% | #168 |
| 2022 | 56.06% | −1.75% | #170 |
| 2021 | 57.81% | −1.30% | #172 |
| 2020 | 59.11% | +1.75% | #172 |
| 2019 | 57.37% | −2.41% | #172 |
| 2018 | 59.77% | −1.09% | #172 |
| 2017 | 60.87% | −0.22% | #172 |
| 2016 | 61.09% | −0.23% | #172 |
| 2015 | 61.32% | −0.70% | #172 |
| 2014 | 62.02% | −0.60% | #172 |
| 2013 | 62.62% | −0.37% | #172 |
| 2012 | 62.99% | −3.93% | #174 |
| 2011 | 66.92% | −3.26% | #179 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Zambia matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 2021. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw agriculture employment improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Zambia's agriculture employment was 54.53% in 2025. Ranked 166th globally. This represents a 1.4% decrease from the previous year.
Zambia's agriculture employment peaked at 77.07% in 2003.
The lowest agriculture employment in Zambia was 54.53% in 2025.
Zambia ranks 166th globally in agriculture employment as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SL.AGR.EMPL.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
Zambia's agriculture employment is projected to reach 53.75% by 2026 based on trend extrapolation.
The agriculture employment of Zambia in 2025 was 54.53%. This ranks 166th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_zambia_agriculture-employment,
title = {Zambia Agriculture Employment},
url = {https://historysaid.com/zambia/agriculture-employment/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}