Zambia Unemployment Rate
Unemployment as % of total labor force SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS
Overview
Zambia's unemployment rate stood at 5.92% in 2025, a rise of +0.02pp from 2024. Zambia ranked 106th globally.
Data & projection
| Year | Unemployment Rate | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5.92% | +0.02pp | #106 |
| 2024 | 5.90% | +0.04pp | #113 |
| 2023 | 5.86% | −0.13pp | #113 |
| 2022 | 5.99% | +0.80pp | #111 |
| 2021 | 5.20% | −0.84pp | #80 |
| 2020 | 6.03% | +0.49pp | #91 |
| 2019 | 5.54% | +0.51pp | #102 |
| 2018 | 5.03% | +0.50pp | #88 |
| 2017 | 4.53% | −0.72pp | #73 |
| 2016 | 5.24% | −0.71pp | #84 |
| 2015 | 5.95% | −0.63pp | #91 |
| 2014 | 6.58% | −0.70pp | #96 |
| 2013 | 7.27% | −0.58pp | #105 |
| 2012 | 7.85% | −2.70pp | #112 |
| 2011 | 10.55% | −2.64pp | #139 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Zambia matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 2021. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw unemployment rate improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Zambia's unemployment rate was 5.92% in 2025. Ranked 106th globally. This represents a 0.3% increase from the previous year.
Zambia's unemployment rate peaked at 19.70% in 1993.
The lowest unemployment rate in Zambia was 4.53% in 2017.
Zambia ranks 106th globally in unemployment rate as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
The unemployment rate of Zambia in 2025 was 5.92%. This ranks 106th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_zambia_unemployment-rate,
title = {Zambia Unemployment Rate},
url = {https://historysaid.com/zambia/unemployment-rate},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}