Cross country literacy rates in Zambia
Zambia: Cross country literacy rates was 71.77 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
71.77
Change on year
down 10.3%
World rank
102nd
of 128 countries
All-time high
83.14
in 2010
All-time low
22.5
in 1950
Years of data
10
1950–2024
Cross country literacy rates in Zambia, 1950–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2024, cross country literacy rates in Zambia stood at 71.77.
The figure is down 10.3% on the previous year and down 13.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cross country literacy rates in Zambia peaked at 83.14 in 2010 and was at its lowest, 22.5, in 1950.
Zambia ranks 102nd of 128 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 10 years of available data.
Cross country literacy rates in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 22.5 | — |
| 1990 | 65 | +188.9% |
| 1999 | 68 | +4.6% |
| 2002 | 69.15 | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 83.14 | +20.2% |
| 2018 | 71.13 | -14.4% |
| 2020 | 81.75 | +14.9% |
| 2021 | 79.95 | -2.2% |
| 2022 | 79.98 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 71.77 | -10.3% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 71.77 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 78.16, 92% of the median. (39 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 71.77 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 70.87, 1.0× the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 22.5 | 22.5 | 22.5 | 1 |
| 1990s | 66.5 | 65 | 68 | 2 |
| 2000s | 69.15 | 69.15 | 69.15 | 1 |
| 2010s | 77.13 | 71.13 | 83.14 | 2 |
| 2020s | 78.36 | 71.77 | 81.75 | 4 |
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 cross country literacy rates in Zambia?
- Cross country literacy rates in Zambia was 71.77 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest cross country literacy rates recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 83.14 in 2010.
- What is the lowest cross country literacy rates recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.5 in 1950.
- How does Zambia rank for cross country literacy rates?
- Zambia ranks 102nd out of 128 countries with data for 2024.
- Is cross country literacy rates rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Cross country literacy rates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).