South Africa vs Zambia: Girls and boys who are out of school
South Africa
218,959 girls
in 2023
Zambia
229,960 girls
in 2017
South Africa rank
26th
Zambia rank
25th
Girls and boys who are out of school over time
- South Africa
- Zambia
How they compare
Zambia currently reports 229,960 girls against 218,959 girls in South Africa, a difference of 11,001 girls.
That makes Zambia's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
Across all 10 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 26th and Zambia ranks 25th of 180 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Zambia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 626,025 girls | 282,085 girls | 343,940 girls | South Africa |
| 2000s | 523,930 girls | 256,915 girls | 267,015 girls | South Africa |
| 2010s | 419,438 girls | 229,960 girls | 189,478 girls | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher girls and boys who are out of school, South Africa or Zambia?
- Zambia, at 229,960 girls against 218,959 girls in South Africa as of 2017.
- What is the difference in girls and boys who are out of school between South Africa and Zambia?
- 11,001 girls, with Zambia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Zambia?
- 10 years are reported by both, from 1994 to 2017.
- How do South Africa and Zambia rank globally for girls and boys who are out of school?
- South Africa ranks 26th and Zambia ranks 25th of 180 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) β with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Girls and boys who are out of school. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Girls in the official primary school age range who are not enrolled in either primary or secondary education.