Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Zambia
Zambia: Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education was 86.2% in 2017. ◆ Volatile
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Zambia, 1820–2017
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Zambia is 86.2%, measured in 2017.
That represents a change of down 6.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Zambia peaked at 94.2% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1820.
Zambia ranks 147th of 190 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1830s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1840s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1850s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1860s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1870s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1880s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1890s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1900s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1910s | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.4% | 2 |
| 1920s | 1.7% | 1.1% | 2.4% | 2 |
| 1930s | 6.1% | 4.4% | 7.8% | 2 |
| 1940s | 16.3% | 12.8% | 19.9% | 2 |
| 1950s | 31.1% | 29.2% | 33.0% | 2 |
| 1960s | 43.2% | 37.0% | 49.5% | 2 |
| 1970s | 74.3% | 71.1% | 78.0% | 7 |
| 1980s | 76.6% | 74.3% | 79.6% | 7 |
| 1990s | 69.3% | 66.2% | 72.7% | 4 |
| 2000s | 81.3% | 66.5% | 92.1% | 8 |
| 2010s | 90.4% | 86.2% | 94.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More education data for Zambia
- Duration of pre-primary education 4 years (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 3 years (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)
- School enrollment, primary 115.6% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 116,859 (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 4.04 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 118.3% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Zambia?
- Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Zambia was 86.2% in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 94.2% in 2012.
- What is the lowest gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1820.
- How does Zambia rank for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education?
- Zambia ranks 147th out of 190 countries with data for 2017.
- Is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
The share of girls of primary school age (typically 6–11 years) who are enrolled in primary education.