Completion rate, upper secondary education, both … modelled data both in Zambia
Zambia: Completion rate, upper secondary education, both … modelled data both was 28.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Completion rate, upper secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) in Zambia, 1981–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for completion rate, upper secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) in Zambia is 28.0%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.9% on the previous year and up 11.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, completion rate, upper secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) in Zambia peaked at 28.0% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 11.9%, in 1981.
Zambia ranks 126th of 164 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Completion rate, upper secondary education, both … modelled data both in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 11.9% | — |
| 1982 | 12.1% | +2.2% |
| 1983 | 12.2% | +0.8% |
| 1984 | 12.3% | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 12.4% | +0.7% |
| 1986 | 12.7% | +2.4% |
| 1987 | 13.0% | +2.7% |
| 1988 | 13.4% | +2.9% |
| 1989 | 13.4% | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 13.3% | -0.4% |
| 1991 | 13.3% | -0.4% |
| 1992 | 13.5% | +1.7% |
| 1993 | 13.5% | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 13.5% | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 13.5% | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 13.6% | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 13.8% | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 14.1% | +2.0% |
| 1999 | 14.5% | +2.9% |
| 2000 | 14.9% | +3.2% |
| 2001 | 15.3% | +2.7% |
| 2002 | 15.7% | +2.5% |
| 2003 | 16.0% | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 16.4% | +2.8% |
| 2005 | 17.1% | +3.8% |
| 2006 | 17.8% | +4.0% |
| 2007 | 18.6% | +5.0% |
| 2008 | 19.5% | +4.5% |
| 2009 | 20.3% | +4.1% |
| 2010 | 21.1% | +4.3% |
| 2011 | 22.1% | +4.5% |
| 2012 | 23.2% | +5.0% |
| 2013 | 24.0% | +3.6% |
| 2014 | 24.5% | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 25.0% | +2.2% |
| 2016 | 25.6% | +2.3% |
| 2017 | 26.2% | +2.3% |
| 2018 | 26.6% | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 26.7% | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 26.8% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 26.8% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 26.9% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 27.1% | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 27.5% | +1.4% |
| 2025 | 28.0% | +1.9% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 28.0% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 36.4%, 77% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 28.0% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 22.1%, 1.3× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 12.6% | 11.9% | 13.4% | 9 |
| 1990s | 13.6% | 13.3% | 14.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 17.2% | 14.9% | 20.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.5% | 21.1% | 26.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.2% | 26.8% | 28.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More education data for Zambia
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 86.21 (2017)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 96.49 (2024)
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 42,585 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 169,961 (2013)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.39 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.49 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.55 % change on previous year (2017)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.2106 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is completion rate, upper secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) in Zambia?
- Completion rate, upper secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) in Zambia was 28.0% in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest completion rate, upper secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 28.0% in 2025.
- What is the lowest completion rate, upper secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.9% in 1981.
- How does Zambia rank for completion rate, upper secondary education, both sexes (modelled data)?
- Zambia ranks 126th out of 164 countries with data for 2025.
- Is completion rate, upper secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.9%. 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, upper secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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