Zimbabwe: Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Zimbabwe's employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) rose 0.09 percentage points on 2024 (from 61.34% to 61.42%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was −0.07 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.7 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 2.81 percentage points in 2023 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.85 percentage points in 2020. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 6% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2025, Zimbabwe had the 63rd highest value of the 182 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Zimbabwe in the 2025 ranking

• China — 60th of 182: 61.57%
• Dominican Republic — 61st of 182: 61.54%
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 62nd of 182: 61.45%
• Denmark — 64th of 182: 61.35%
• Brunei Darussalam — 65th of 182: 60.85%
• Panama — 66th of 182: 60.76%

What this measures

Employment to population ratio is the proportion of a country's population that is employed.

Limitations: Data on employment by status are drawn from labor force surveys and household surveys, supplemented by official estimates and censuses for a small group of countries. The labor force survey is the most comprehensive source for internationally comparable employment, but there are still some limitations for comparing data across countries and over time even within a country. Comparability of employment ratios across countries is affected by variations in definitions of employment and population. The biggest difference results from the age range used to define labor force activity. The population base for employment ratios can also vary.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 35 values

Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) in nearby economies

• Angola — 64.24% (2025)
• Benin — 75.14% (2025)
• Botswana — 51.96% (2025)
• Burkina Faso — 67.57% (2025)
• Burundi — 77.53% (2025)
• Cabo Verde — 50.22% (2025)
• Cameroon — 62.82% (2025)
• Central African Republic — 68.8% (2025)
• Chad

More social protection & labor data for Zimbabwe

• Net migration — -54,555 (2025)
• Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin — 6,632 (2025)
• Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum — 8,570 (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 43.06% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 53.32% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 48.17% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) — 62.93% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Zimbabwe's employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate)?

61.42% in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1991?

It is down 2.22 percentage points from 63.65% in 1991. The highest value was 63.65% in 1991 and the lowest 58.64% in 2022.

How does Zimbabwe rank?

63rd highest of 182 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) unusual for Zimbabwe?

In 2025, Zimbabwe's employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) rose 0.09 percentage points on 2024 (from 61.34% to 61.42%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was −0.07 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.7 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SL.EMP.TOTL.SP.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), uri: https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/bulk/, publisher: ILOSTAT, type: external database, date accessed: January 17, 2026 Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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