Completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) in Zambia
Zambia: Completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) was 50.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) in Zambia, 1981–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 50.1% for completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) in 2025. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 1.5% on the previous year and up 9.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) in Zambia peaked at 50.1% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 27.0%, in 1981.
That places Zambia 128th out of 164 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 27.0% | — |
| 1982 | 27.7% | +2.4% |
| 1983 | 28.3% | +2.2% |
| 1984 | 28.7% | +1.4% |
| 1985 | 29.1% | +1.3% |
| 1986 | 29.2% | +0.6% |
| 1987 | 29.5% | +0.8% |
| 1988 | 29.7% | +0.7% |
| 1989 | 29.9% | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 30.0% | +0.3% |
| 1991 | 30.0% | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 30.1% | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 30.4% | +1.0% |
| 1994 | 30.6% | +1.0% |
| 1995 | 30.9% | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 31.1% | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 31.4% | +1.0% |
| 1998 | 31.6% | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 31.7% | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 31.8% | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 32.1% | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 32.6% | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 33.3% | +2.2% |
| 2004 | 34.4% | +3.2% |
| 2005 | 35.7% | +3.7% |
| 2006 | 37.2% | +4.1% |
| 2007 | 38.9% | +4.7% |
| 2008 | 40.3% | +3.6% |
| 2009 | 41.8% | +3.8% |
| 2010 | 42.7% | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 43.6% | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 44.1% | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 44.7% | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 45.4% | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 45.9% | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 46.3% | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 46.5% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 46.4% | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 46.2% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 46.3% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 46.8% | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 47.5% | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 48.4% | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 49.4% | +2.0% |
| 2025 | 50.1% | +1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 28.8% | 27.0% | 29.9% | 9 |
| 1990s | 30.8% | 30.0% | 31.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 35.8% | 31.8% | 41.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 45.2% | 42.7% | 46.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 48.1% | 46.3% | 50.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More education data for Zambia
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), gaps filled 2,022 tertiary education (2022)
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), annual growth 0.0497 % change on previous year (2014)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 116,859 (2024)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Duration of pre primary education 4 (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre primary education 3 (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 57.0% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 41.0% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 14 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 7 years (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) in Zambia?
- Completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) in Zambia was 50.1% in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 50.1% in 2025.
- What is the lowest completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.0% in 1981.
- How does Zambia rank for completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data)?
- Zambia ranks 128th out of 164 countries with data for 2025.
- Is completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release