Girls and boys who are out of school in Zambia
Zambia: Girls and boys who are out of school was 229,960 girls in 2017. ▲ Rising
Girls and boys who are out of school in Zambia, 1972–2017
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in girls.
Analysis
In 2017, girls and boys who are out of school in Zambia stood at 229,960 girls.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 140.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, girls and boys who are out of school in Zambia peaked at 342,409 girls in 2001 and was at its lowest, 81,634 girls, in 2012.
That places Zambia 25th out of 180 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 29 years of available data.
Girls and boys who are out of school in Zambia, year by year
| Year | girls | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 126,073 girls | — |
| 1976 | 127,804 girls | +1.4% |
| 1977 | 131,169 girls | +2.6% |
| 1978 | 139,480 girls | +6.3% |
| 1979 | 144,478 girls | +3.6% |
| 1980 | 148,412 girls | +2.7% |
| 1981 | 151,767 girls | +2.3% |
| 1982 | 156,505 girls | +3.1% |
| 1983 | 152,134 girls | -2.8% |
| 1984 | 150,637 girls | -1.0% |
| 1986 | 144,753 girls | -3.9% |
| 1988 | 156,767 girls | +8.3% |
| 1994 | 233,770 girls | +49.1% |
| 1995 | 257,837 girls | +10.3% |
| 1998 | 306,733 girls | +19.0% |
| 1999 | 330,000 girls | +7.6% |
| 2000 | 335,081 girls | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 342,409 girls | +2.2% |
| 2002 | 322,709 girls | -5.8% |
| 2004 | 191,539 girls | -40.6% |
| 2005 | 92,835 girls | -51.5% |
| 2006 | 110,828 girls | +19.4% |
| 2007 | 95,749 girls | -13.6% |
| 2009 | 116,739 girls | +21.9% |
| 2010 | 153,718 girls | +31.7% |
| 2011 | 104,536 girls | -32.0% |
| 2012 | 81,634 girls | -21.9% |
| 2013 | 137,596 girls | +68.6% |
| 2017 | 229,960 girls | +67.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 133,801 girls | 126,073 girls | 144,478 girls | 5 |
| 1980s | 151,568 girls | 144,753 girls | 156,767 girls | 7 |
| 1990s | 282,085 girls | 233,770 girls | 330,000 girls | 4 |
| 2000s | 200,986 girls | 92,835 girls | 342,409 girls | 8 |
| 2010s | 141,489 girls | 81,634 girls | 229,960 girls | 5 |
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 girls and boys who are out of school in Zambia?
- Girls and boys who are out of school in Zambia was 229,960 girls in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest girls and boys who are out of school recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 342,409 girls in 2001.
- What is the lowest girls and boys who are out of school recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 81,634 girls in 2012.
- How does Zambia rank for girls and boys who are out of school?
- Zambia ranks 25th out of 180 countries with data for 2017.
- Is girls and boys who are out of school rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 140.2%. 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 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Girls and boys who are out of school. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 29 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Girls in the official primary school age range who are not enrolled in either primary or secondary education.