Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Zambia
Zambia: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female was 61.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
61.4%
Change on year
down 15.3%
World rank
67th
of 88 countries
All-time high
75.8%
in 2010
All-time low
57.0%
in 1990
Years of data
7
1990–2024
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Zambia, 1990–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Zambia stood at 61.4%.
That represents a change of down 15.3% on the previous year and down 19.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Zambia peaked at 75.8% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 57.0%, in 1990.
That places Zambia 67th out of 88 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 57.0% | — |
| 1999 | 58.3% | +2.3% |
| 2002 | 63.8% | +9.5% |
| 2010 | 75.8% | +18.9% |
| 2018 | 59.0% | -22.2% |
| 2021 | 72.5% | +22.7% |
| 2024 | 61.4% | -15.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 57.6% | 57.0% | 58.3% | 2 |
| 2000s | 63.8% | 63.8% | 63.8% | 1 |
| 2010s | 67.4% | 59.0% | 75.8% | 2 |
| 2020s | 66.9% | 61.4% | 72.5% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More education data for Zambia
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 2.30 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 2.69 % change on previous year (2017)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), per capita 0.1079 units per person (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.19 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 2.41 % change on previous year (2017)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), per capita 0.1027 units per person (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.39 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 7.67 % change on previous year (1988)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 116,859 (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 5.61 % change on previous year (2017)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Zambia?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Zambia was 61.4% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 75.8% in 2010.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 57.0% in 1990.
- How does Zambia rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female?
- Zambia ranks 67th out of 88 countries with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.1%. 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, published as part of Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 7 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release