The revelation that Zambia had 523,751 unemployed people in 2025, according to the Zambia Statistics Agency (ZAMSTAT), raises important questions about the relationship between employment, household welfare and remittances from Zambians living abroad.
While the decline in the national unemployment rate from 12.9 per cent in 2024 to 9.9 per cent in 2025 is encouraging, the figures expose the economic pressures that continue to make financial support from relatives in the diaspora essential to many households.
For thousands of Zambians living in the United Kingdom, South Africa, the United States, Canada and elsewhere, sending money home is more than an act of generosity.
It is a family responsibility shaped by cultural expectations, economic necessity and the desire to improve the lives of loved ones. Remittances pay school fees, purchase food, meet medical expenses, support housing projects and provide capital for small businesses.
However, these responsibilities can become a considerable burden when relatives back home cannot find employment or earn enough to support themselves.
The ZAMSTAT findings indicate that 2.09 million young people aged between 15 and 24 were not in employment, education or training.
This is particularly significant for diaspora families supporting children, siblings and other dependants. Where young people struggle to secure work, relatives abroad may find themselves financing household expenses for extended periods, sometimes at the expense of their own savings, retirement plans and financial security.
The figures should therefore prompt a conversation about how remittances can move beyond consumption towards sustainable economic empowerment.
There is nothing wrong with sending money for food, school fees, medical treatment or other immediate needs. Such assistance can be indispensable.
Nevertheless, where circumstances permit, diaspora remittances could also support vocational training, agricultural production, small enterprises and other income-generating activities.
For example, rather than financing a relative indefinitely without a clear plan, a family abroad might help establish a small grocery shop, poultry project, tailoring business or other viable enterprise.
Such initiatives require careful planning, accountability and an honest assessment of local market conditions. Not every business will succeed, and remittances should never be treated as guaranteed investment capital.
However, productive investments can create opportunities for families to build greater financial independence.
The Government also has a responsibility to make such initiatives more viable by improving access to business training, affordable finance, reliable electricity, markets and appropriate support for small enterprises.
The fact that 63.4 per cent of employed people were working in the informal economy underscores the importance of helping businesses grow, improve productivity and eventually create more secure employment.
At the same time, Zambians in the diaspora should not be expected to solve Zambia’s unemployment problem through private family transfers.
Remittances complement, but cannot replace, effective economic policies, investment and domestic job creation.
Diaspora organisations could help by establishing transparent community investment initiatives, mentoring young entrepreneurs and connecting Zambian businesses with international markets.
Such efforts would give remittances a wider developmental impact while preserving their essential role in supporting families.
Ultimately, the message from the employment figures is not that Zambians abroad should send less money home. It is that families should have more opportunities to turn that support into lasting security.
The true measure of remittances should be not only how much money reaches Zambia, but also how effectively it helps families meet today’s needs while building the capacity to support themselves tomorrow.
