Share of agriculture in total employment in Zambia
Zambia: Share of agriculture in total employment was 72.2% in 2010. ▲ Rising
Latest (2010)
72.2%
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
2nd
of 44 countries
All-time high
76.0%
in 1995
All-time low
60.9%
in 1971
Years of data
46
1965–2010
Share of agriculture in total employment in Zambia, 1965–2010
Source: Herrendorf et al. and Groningen Growth and Development Centre (2015) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2010, share of agriculture in total employment in Zambia stood at 72.2%.
The figure is down 0.8% on the previous year and up 0.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of agriculture in total employment in Zambia peaked at 76.0% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 60.9%, in 1971.
That places Zambia 2nd out of 44 countries with data for 2010, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 46 years of available data.
Share of agriculture in total employment in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 63.3% | — |
| 1966 | 63.1% | -0.3% |
| 1967 | 62.8% | -0.5% |
| 1968 | 62.9% | +0.2% |
| 1969 | 64.0% | +1.7% |
| 1970 | 62.7% | -2.0% |
| 1971 | 60.9% | -2.9% |
| 1972 | 62.0% | +1.8% |
| 1973 | 62.6% | +1.0% |
| 1974 | 63.5% | +1.4% |
| 1975 | 64.5% | +1.6% |
| 1976 | 65.3% | +1.2% |
| 1977 | 66.6% | +2.0% |
| 1978 | 67.4% | +1.2% |
| 1979 | 68.2% | +1.2% |
| 1980 | 68.0% | -0.3% |
| 1981 | 67.5% | -0.7% |
| 1982 | 68.4% | +1.3% |
| 1983 | 69.9% | +2.2% |
| 1984 | 70.8% | +1.3% |
| 1985 | 71.6% | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 72.7% | +1.5% |
| 1987 | 73.2% | +0.7% |
| 1988 | 74.0% | +1.1% |
| 1989 | 74.9% | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 75.3% | +0.5% |
| 1991 | 75.7% | +0.5% |
| 1992 | 75.7% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 75.2% | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 75.4% | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 76.0% | +0.8% |
| 1996 | 74.6% | -1.8% |
| 1997 | 73.7% | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 73.7% | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 72.4% | -1.8% |
| 2000 | 71.6% | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 72.1% | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 72.9% | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 73.4% | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 73.9% | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 73.7% | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 73.3% | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 73.1% | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 73.0% | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 72.8% | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 72.2% | -0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 63.2% | 62.8% | 64.0% | 5 |
| 1970s | 64.4% | 60.9% | 68.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 71.1% | 67.5% | 74.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 74.8% | 72.4% | 76.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 73.0% | 71.6% | 73.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 72.2% | 72.2% | 72.2% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
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 share of agriculture in total employment in Zambia?
- Share of agriculture in total employment in Zambia was 72.2% in 2010, according to Herrendorf et al. and Groningen Growth and Development Centre (2015) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of agriculture in total employment recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 76.0% in 1995.
- What is the lowest share of agriculture in total employment recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 60.9% in 1971.
- How does Zambia rank for share of agriculture in total employment?
- Zambia ranks 2nd out of 44 countries with data for 2010.
- Is share of agriculture in total employment rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Herrendorf et al. and Groningen Growth and Development Centre (2015) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of agriculture in total employment. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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