Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Zambia
Zambia: Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP was 4.7% in 2018. ▼ Falling
Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Zambia, 1970–2018
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Zambia is 4.7%, measured in 2018.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 27.1% on the previous year and up 331.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Zambia peaked at 6.2% in 1975 and was at its lowest, 1.1%, in 2008.
That places Zambia 61st out of 185 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 4.4% | — |
| 1971 | 6.1% | +38.9% |
| 1972 | 5.9% | -2.5% |
| 1973 | 5.5% | -7.7% |
| 1974 | 4.9% | -11.1% |
| 1975 | 6.2% | +27.9% |
| 1976 | 6.0% | -3.4% |
| 1977 | 5.7% | -5.5% |
| 1978 | 4.7% | -16.7% |
| 1979 | 4.2% | -12.4% |
| 1980 | 4.1% | -0.7% |
| 1981 | 4.0% | -3.1% |
| 1982 | 5.2% | +28.8% |
| 1983 | 5.4% | +4.5% |
| 1984 | 5.0% | -7.4% |
| 1985 | 4.1% | -16.9% |
| 1986 | 3.3% | -19.5% |
| 1987 | 2.7% | -20.3% |
| 1991 | 2.7% | +2.9% |
| 1992 | 2.1% | -23.7% |
| 1993 | 1.9% | -7.1% |
| 1994 | 1.8% | -7.6% |
| 1995 | 1.8% | +2.5% |
| 1998 | 2.1% | +15.2% |
| 1999 | 1.8% | -16.2% |
| 2000 | 1.8% | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 2.5% | +37.8% |
| 2005 | 1.7% | -29.5% |
| 2007 | 1.2% | -28.5% |
| 2008 | 1.1% | -11.4% |
| 2015 | 4.6% | +320.5% |
| 2016 | 3.7% | -19.0% |
| 2017 | 3.7% | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 4.7% | +27.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5.4% | 4.2% | 6.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.2% | 2.7% | 5.4% | 8 |
| 1990s | 2.0% | 1.8% | 2.7% | 7 |
| 2000s | 1.7% | 1.1% | 2.5% | 5 |
| 2010s | 4.2% | 3.7% | 4.7% | 4 |
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 initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Zambia?
- Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Zambia was 4.7% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 6.2% in 1975.
- What is the lowest initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.1% in 2008.
- How does Zambia rank for initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp?
- Zambia ranks 61st out of 185 countries with data for 2018.
- Is initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 331.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release