Gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes (%) in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes (%) was 93.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes in Zimbabwe, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Zimbabwe recorded 93.1% for gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes in 2024.
That represents a change of down 0.2% on the previous year and down 5.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes in Zimbabwe peaked at 129.2% in 1985 and was at its lowest, 64.7%, in 1978.
That places Zimbabwe 176th out of 217 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 46 years of available data.
Gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes (%) in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 71.5% | — |
| 1971 | 65.9% | -7.8% |
| 1972 | 69.6% | +5.6% |
| 1973 | 70.7% | +1.6% |
| 1974 | 72.4% | +2.5% |
| 1975 | 72.6% | +0.2% |
| 1976 | 72.2% | -0.5% |
| 1977 | 70.9% | -1.8% |
| 1978 | 64.7% | -8.8% |
| 1979 | 64.7% | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 92.9% | +43.7% |
| 1981 | 115.1% | +23.9% |
| 1982 | 124.2% | +7.8% |
| 1983 | 128.5% | +3.5% |
| 1984 | 129.1% | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 129.2% | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 127.3% | -1.5% |
| 1987 | 118.6% | -6.8% |
| 1988 | 109.0% | -8.1% |
| 1989 | 105.4% | -3.3% |
| 1990 | 97.2% | -7.8% |
| 1991 | 102.5% | +5.5% |
| 1992 | 101.1% | -1.4% |
| 1993 | 96.0% | -5.0% |
| 1995 | 101.2% | +5.4% |
| 1996 | 103.5% | +2.2% |
| 1997 | 106.3% | +2.7% |
| 1998 | 107.4% | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 108.8% | +1.3% |
| 2000 | 112.0% | +3.0% |
| 2001 | 116.9% | +4.3% |
| 2002 | 111.6% | -4.5% |
| 2003 | 109.8% | -1.6% |
| 2012 | 100.1% | -8.8% |
| 2013 | 99.2% | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 98.2% | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 97.2% | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 95.7% | -1.5% |
| 2017 | 94.3% | -1.5% |
| 2018 | 93.8% | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 93.4% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 93.6% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 92.8% | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 93.2% | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 93.2% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 93.1% | -0.2% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 93.1% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 102.7%, 91% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 93.1% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 100.4%, 93% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes (%) in Zimbabwe changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | +43.7% | 64.7% | 92.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 69.5% | 64.7% | 72.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 117.9% | 92.9% | 129.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 102.7% | 96.0% | 108.8% | 9 |
| 2000s | 112.6% | 109.8% | 116.9% | 4 |
| 2010s | 96.5% | 93.4% | 100.1% | 8 |
| 2020s | 93.2% | 92.8% | 93.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
More education data for Zimbabwe
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 42,585 (2013)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 12,514 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 328,055 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 322,698 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 957,461 (2013)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.94 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.4866 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1767 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes in Zimbabwe?
- Gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes in Zimbabwe was 93.1% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 129.2% in 1985.
- What is the lowest gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 64.7% in 1978.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes?
- Zimbabwe ranks 176th out of 217 countries with data for 2024.
- Is gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zimbabwe data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 46 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release