Share of GDP per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. GDP per capita in Zambia

Zambia: Share of GDP per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. GDP per capita was 12.9% in 2017. ▲ Rising

Latest (2017)
12.9%
Change on year
down 0.2%
World rank
79th
of 122 countries
All-time high
14.3%
in 2015
All-time low
4.8%
in 2005
Years of data
6
2000–2017

Share of GDP per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. GDP per capita in Zambia, 2000–2017

4681012142000200820172000: 6.4 % of GDP per capita2004: 8.1 % of GDP per capita2005: 4.8 % of GDP per capita2015: 14.3 % of GDP per capita2016: 12.9 % of GDP per capita2017: 12.9 % of GDP per capita

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP per capita.

Analysis

Zambia recorded 12.9% for share of gdp per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. gdp per capita in 2017.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and up 169.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of gdp per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. gdp per capita in Zambia peaked at 14.3% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 4.8%, in 2005.

That places Zambia 79th out of 122 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the middle of the range.

Share of GDP per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. GDP per capita in Zambia, year by year

Annual values for Share of GDP per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. GDP per capita in Zambia, 2000 to 2017.
Year % of GDP per capita Change
2000 6.4%
2004 8.1% +25.7%
2005 4.8% -40.8%
2015 14.3% +199.6%
2016 12.9% -9.8%
2017 12.9% -0.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 6.4% 4.8% 8.1% 3
2010s 13.4% 12.9% 14.3% 3

Countries ranked near Zambia

  1. 76 Cote d'Ivoire 13.3% compare
  2. 77 Turkey 13.0% compare
  3. 78 Burundi 12.9% compare
  4. 80 Bhutan 12.8% compare
  5. 81 Uruguay 12.6% compare
  6. 82 Sierra Leone 12.4% compare

See the full ranking of 122 places →

More education data for Zambia

All data for Zambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of gdp per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. gdp per capita in Zambia?
Share of gdp per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. gdp per capita in Zambia was 12.9% in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of gdp per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. gdp per capita recorded in Zambia?
The highest recorded value was 14.3% in 2015.
What is the lowest share of gdp per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. gdp per capita recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was 4.8% in 2005.
How does Zambia rank for share of gdp per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. gdp per capita?
Zambia ranks 79th out of 122 countries with data for 2017.
Is share of gdp per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Zambia?
Over the last ten years it is up 169.7%. 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 (UIS), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of GDP per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of GDP per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. GDP per capita in Zambia. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 28 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/government-expenditure-per-primary-student-vs-gdp-per-capita/zambia/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of GDP per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. GDP per capita
Unit
% of GDP per capita
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
122 places, 1,482 data points, 1995–2018
Last refreshed

GDP per capita data is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.