ZAMBIA’S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE DECLINES TO 9.9 PERCENT

Zambia’s unemployment rate declined from 12.9 percent in 2024 to 9.9 percent in 2025, while the employment-to-population ratio increased from 33.1 percent to 37.1 percent. This was revealed during the Dissemination of the 2025 Labour Force Survey, today, 16th October, 2026 by the Zambia Statistics Agency (ZamStats), in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.

Speaking during the Dissemination, the Statistician General, Ms. Sheila Mudenda said that Zambia’s working-age population comprising persons, aged 15 years and above was estimated at 12.8 million, of whom approximately 5.28 million were in the labour force. Of these, 4.76 million were employed, while 523,751 were unemployed.

She noted that youth employment remained a key national priority, with unemployment among persons aged 15 to 24 years recorded at 23.9 percent while the rate among the nationally defined youth population aged 19 to 34 years was 14.2 percent.

Ms. Mudenda further highlighted that approximately 2.09 million young people aged 15 to 24 years were not in employment, education or training, underscoring the need to strengthen links between education, vocational training, entrepreneurship and employment opportunities.

She added that informal employment remained a major source of livelihoods, accounting for approximately 3.02 million people, or 63.4 percent of total employment. She emphasised the need to support enterprise development, improve workers’ skills and promote pathways towards formalisation to enhance productivity, job security and access to social protection.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Labour and Social Security Permanent Secretary, Mr. Zecharia Luhanga, said that the findings of the 2025 Labour Force Survey, would strengthen understanding of employment opportunities, earnings and the quality of work in Zambia.

Mr. Luhanga said the reports were important to the Grow Zambia Agenda, as they would help assess how investment and production translated into productive employment and improved livelihoods.

He emphasised the need to align workforce preparation with investment planning by using labour market evidence to identify skills gaps and guide training priorities, apprenticeships and other work-based learning initiatives.

Mr. Luhanga further called for employment policies that address earnings, working conditions and social protection alongside job creation. He proposed that ZamStats and the Ministry work with stakeholders to develop a policy brief outlining key findings, priority interventions, responsible institutions and timelines for implementation.

He urged ministries, employers, workers’ organisations and training institutions to use the reports in planning and decision-making, stressing that reliable labour market statistics were essential for achieving measurable improvements in decent work.