Employment in agriculture, male (% of male employment) in Zambia
Zambia: Employment in agriculture, male (% of male employment) was 51.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Employment in agriculture, male (% of male employment) in Zambia, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for employment in agriculture, male (% of male employment) in Zambia is 51.6%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.5% on the previous year and down 6.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in agriculture, male (% of male employment) in Zambia peaked at 68.9% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 51.6%, in 2025.
Zambia ranks 18th of 187 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Employment in agriculture, male (% of male employment) in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 65.9% | — |
| 1992 | 66.3% | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 66.2% | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 65.9% | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 66.0% | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 65.7% | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 65.7% | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 66.1% | +0.6% |
| 1999 | 66.8% | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 67.3% | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 68.0% | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 68.6% | +0.8% |
| 2003 | 68.9% | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 68.9% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 68.8% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 68.8% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 68.7% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 68.5% | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 65.8% | -4.1% |
| 2010 | 62.5% | -4.9% |
| 2011 | 59.6% | -4.6% |
| 2012 | 56.2% | -5.7% |
| 2013 | 56.0% | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 55.7% | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 55.4% | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 55.2% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 55.0% | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 53.8% | -2.2% |
| 2019 | 53.1% | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 54.7% | +2.9% |
| 2021 | 53.7% | -1.7% |
| 2022 | 53.0% | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 52.9% | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 52.3% | -1.1% |
| 2025 | 51.6% | -1.5% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 51.6% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 35.1%, 1.5× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 51.6% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 45.0%, 1.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 66.1% | 65.7% | 66.8% | 9 |
| 2000s | 68.2% | 65.8% | 68.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 56.3% | 53.1% | 62.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 53.0% | 51.6% | 54.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 15 Guinea-Bissau 56.4% compare
- 16 Equatorial Guinea 54.7% compare
- 17 Eritrea 53.1% compare
- 19 North Korea 50.6% compare
- 20 Afghanistan 50.2% compare
- 21 Burkina Faso 50.0% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Zambia
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 65.37 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0411 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 54.11 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.97 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0004 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5408 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 4.1% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 4.1% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.4% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in agriculture, male (% of male employment) in Zambia?
- Employment in agriculture, male (% of male employment) in Zambia was 51.6% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employment in agriculture, male (% of male employment) recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 68.9% in 2004.
- What is the lowest employment in agriculture, male (% of male employment) recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 51.6% in 2025.
- How does Zambia rank for employment in agriculture, male (% of male employment)?
- Zambia ranks 18th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment in agriculture, male (% of male employment) rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employment in agriculture, male (% of male employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Employment is defined as persons of working age who were engaged in any activity to produce goods or provide services for pay or profit, whether at work during the reference period or not at work due to temporary absence from a job, or to working-time arrangement. The agriculture sector consists of activities in agriculture, hunting, forestry and fishing, in accordance with division 1 (ISIC 2) or categories A-B (ISIC 3) or category A (ISIC 4).