Zimbabwe — Labor participation
Labor Force Participation Rate for Zimbabwe, 1990–2025.
Labor participation for Zimbabwe was 67.72% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 36 years, from 1990 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 67.79% in 2023. The lowest was 64.67% in 2020 (about 1.0× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.03% per year.
Zimbabwe ranks 41 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 22%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 64.31%, so Zimbabwe sits above it. It peaked in 2023 and has fallen 0% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved up 2%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 18 of 47 economies; Kenya (67.39%) is just below it. That is 2% above this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Climbed: 51st of 187 in 1990 → 60th of 187 in 2000 → 58th of 187 in 2010 → 57th of 187 in 2020 → 40th of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1990 to 2025
| Year | % of population ages 15+ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 67.72% | -0.0 pp |
| 2024 | 67.72% | -0.1 pp |
| 2023 | 67.79% | +2.6 pp |
| 2022 | 65.21% | -0.2 pp |
| 2021 | 65.4% | +0.7 pp |
| 2020 | 64.67% | -1.1 pp |
| 2019 | 65.8% | -0.1 pp |
| 2018 | 65.89% | -0.1 pp |
| 2017 | 65.99% | -0.1 pp |
| 2016 | 66.07% | -0.1 pp |
| 2015 | 66.13% | -0.0 pp |
| 2014 | 66.16% | +0.0 pp |
| 2013 | 66.15% | +0.1 pp |
| 2012 | 66.09% | +0.1 pp |
| 2011 | 66.01% | +0.1 pp |
| 2010 | 65.93% | +0.1 pp |
| 2009 | 65.83% | +0.1 pp |
| 2008 | 65.75% | +0.1 pp |
| 2007 | 65.69% | +0.0 pp |
| 2006 | 65.66% | +0.0 pp |
| 2005 | 65.62% | +0.1 pp |
| 2004 | 65.57% | +0.0 pp |
| 2003 | 65.52% | +0.0 pp |
| 2002 | 65.49% | -0.0 pp |
| 2001 | 65.52% | -0.1 pp |
| 2000 | 65.61% | -0.1 pp |
| 1999 | 65.75% | -0.2 pp |
| 1998 | 65.94% | -0.2 pp |
| 1997 | 66.18% | -0.3 pp |
| 1996 | 66.43% | -0.2 pp |
| 1995 | 66.67% | -0.2 pp |
| 1994 | 66.85% | -0.1 pp |
| 1993 | 66.97% | +0.1 pp |
| 1992 | 66.9% | +0.0 pp |
| 1991 | 66.85% | -0.1 pp |
| 1990 | 66.99% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Zimbabwe’s Labor participation in 1991?
66.85% (1991). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of population ages 15+, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Zimbabwe’s Labor participation growing or shrinking?
Between 1990 and 2025 the series was growing overall: +1.1% in total.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SL.TLF.CACT.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 67.72%; 2024: 67.72%; 2023: 67.79%; 2022: 65.21%; 2021: 65.4%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SL.TLF.CACT.ZS — Labor Force Participation Rate. Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.