Trend of Annual Unemployment Rate of Zambia

Updated on May 15, 2026.

According to recent data from the World Bank, the total unemployment rate of Zambia was 5.92% in 2026, a difference of +0.02 points compared to 2025; and the total labor force of Zambia in 2026 was 8,011,366. The most recent figures on male and female unemployment rates were 5.71% and 6.16% respectively in 2026.

The chart and table below shows the trend of the total, male, and female unemployment rates of Zambia for 1992-2026.

You can see similar information for other countries.

The World Bank defines unemployment rate as "the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment".

You may also be interested in:
Trend of Annual Youth Unemployment Rate of Zambia.

Related Topics: World Bank Topic List

Data Source: World Bank.

Trend of Annual Unemployment Rate of Zambia (%)

Total

Male

Female

Trend of Annual Unemployment Rate of Zambia

0 of 0

Year	Total Unempl.(%)	Male Unempl.(%)	Female Unempl.(%)
1991	18.9	16.17	22.22
1992	19.57	17.81	21.7
1993	19.7	18.93	20.63
1994	18.69	18.02	19.49
1995	16.83	16.27	17.51
1996	15.3	14.85	15.84
1997	13.27	13.27	13.28
1998	12	12.44	11.48
1999	12.5	13.35	11.47
2000	12.93	14.21	11.38
2001	13.4	14.64	11.91
2002	14.13	15.34	12.67
2003	14.7	15.84	13.32
2004	15.33	16.39	14.04
2005	15.9	16.85	14.75
2006	13.23	13.88	12.43
2007	10.56	10.95	10.07
2008	7.93	8.12	7.69
2009	10.58	10.79	10.33
2010	13.19	13.38	12.96
2011	10.55	10.64	10.43
2012	7.85	7.87	7.82
2013	7.27	7.24	7.31
2014	6.58	6.5	6.67
2015	5.95	5.83	6.11
2016	5.24	5.08	5.45
2017	4.53	4.32	4.78
2018	5.03	4.99	5.09
2019	5.54	5.8	5.21
2020	6.03	5.59	6.56
2021	5.2	4.77	5.7
2022	5.99	5.74	6.29
2023	5.86	5.71	6.04
2024	5.9	5.75	6.07
2025	5.92	5.71	6.16