Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population in Zambia
Zambia: Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population was 87.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population in Zambia, 1980–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 87.7% for educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population in 2024. That is the highest value across all 6 years on record.
That represents a change of up 17.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population in Zambia peaked at 87.7% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 35.8%, in 1980.
That places Zambia 99th out of 136 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 35.8% | — |
| 1990 | 46.1% | +28.9% |
| 2015 | 75.0% | +62.6% |
| 2017 | 83.5% | +11.4% |
| 2018 | 84.7% | +1.4% |
| 2024 | 87.7% | +3.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 35.8% | 35.8% | 35.8% | 1 |
| 1990s | 46.1% | 46.1% | 46.1% | 1 |
| 2010s | 81.1% | 75.0% | 84.7% | 3 |
| 2020s | 87.7% | 87.7% | 87.7% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More education data for Zambia
- 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)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 4.49 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population in Zambia?
- Educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population in Zambia was 87.7% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 87.7% in 2024.
- What is the lowest educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 35.8% in 1980.
- How does Zambia rank for educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population?
- Zambia ranks 99th out of 136 countries with data for 2024.
- Is educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.1%. 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 Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population 25+ years, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 6 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release