What is lower secondary school starting age in Zambia?

Lower secondary school starting age in Zambia was 14 years in 2025, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

What is the highest lower secondary school starting age recorded in Zambia?

The highest recorded value was 14 years in 1970.

What is the lowest lower secondary school starting age recorded in Zambia?

The lowest recorded value was 14 years in 1970.

How does Zambia rank for lower secondary school starting age?

Zambia ranks 1st out of 209 countries with data for 2025.

Is lower secondary school starting age rising or falling in Zambia?

Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.

Where does this Zambia data come from?

The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Lower secondary school starting age (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Lower secondary school starting age in Zambia

Name: Lower secondary school starting age in Zambia
Creator: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
License: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)

Zambia: Lower secondary school starting age was 14 years in 2025. ▬ Flat

Latest (2025)

14 years

Change on year

unchanged

World rank

1st

of 209 countries

All-time high

14 years

in 1970

All-time low

14 years

in 1970

Years of data

1970–2025

Lower secondary school starting age in Zambia, 1970–2025

Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in years.

Analysis

In 2025, lower secondary school starting age in Zambia stood at 14 years. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.

That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.

Over the whole period, lower secondary school starting age in Zambia peaked at 14 years in 1970 and was at its lowest, 14 years, in 1970.

That places Zambia 1st out of 209 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.

Lower secondary school starting age in Zambia, year by year

Annual values for Lower secondary school starting age (years) in Zambia, 1970 to 2025.
Year	years	Change
1970	14 years	—
1971	14 years	+0.0%
1972	14 years	+0.0%
1973	14 years	+0.0%
1974	14 years	+0.0%
1975	14 years	+0.0%
1976	14 years	+0.0%
1977	14 years	+0.0%
1978	14 years	+0.0%
1979	14 years	+0.0%
1980	14 years	+0.0%
1981	14 years	+0.0%
1982	14 years	+0.0%
1983	14 years	+0.0%
1984	14 years	+0.0%
1985	14 years	+0.0%
1986	14 years	+0.0%
1987	14 years	+0.0%
1988	14 years	+0.0%
1989	14 years	+0.0%
1990	14 years	+0.0%
1991	14 years	+0.0%
1992	14 years	+0.0%
1993	14 years	+0.0%
1994	14 years	+0.0%
1995	14 years	+0.0%
1996	14 years	+0.0%
1997	14 years	+0.0%
1998	14 years	+0.0%
1999	14 years	+0.0%
2000	14 years	+0.0%
2001	14 years	+0.0%
2002	14 years	+0.0%
2003	14 years	+0.0%
2004	14 years	+0.0%
2005	14 years	+0.0%
2006	14 years	+0.0%
2007	14 years	+0.0%
2008	14 years	+0.0%
2009	14 years	+0.0%
2010	14 years	+0.0%
2011	14 years	+0.0%
2012	14 years	+0.0%
2013	14 years	+0.0%
2014	14 years	+0.0%
2015	14 years	+0.0%
2016	14 years	+0.0%
2017	14 years	+0.0%
2018	14 years	+0.0%
2019	14 years	+0.0%
2020	14 years	+0.0%
2021	14 years	+0.0%
2022	14 years	+0.0%
2023	14 years	+0.0%
2024	14 years	+0.0%
2025	14 years	+0.0%

Zambia compared with similar countries

Zambia's 14 years is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 12 years, 1.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Zambia's 14 years is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 12 years, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1970s	14 years	14 years	14 years	10
1980s	14 years	14 years	14 years	10
1990s	14 years	14 years	14 years	10
2000s	14 years	14 years	14 years	10
2010s	14 years	14 years	14 years	10
2020s	14 years	14 years	14 years	6

Countries ranked near Zambia

1 Namibia 14 years compare
1 South Africa 14 years compare
1 Tanzania 14 years compare

See the full ranking of 209 places →

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)

All data for Zambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is lower secondary school starting age in Zambia?: Lower secondary school starting age in Zambia was 14 years in 2025, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest lower secondary school starting age recorded in Zambia?: The highest recorded value was 14 years in 1970.
What is the lowest lower secondary school starting age recorded in Zambia?: The lowest recorded value was 14 years in 1970.
How does Zambia rank for lower secondary school starting age?: Zambia ranks 1st out of 209 countries with data for 2025.
Is lower secondary school starting age rising or falling in Zambia?: Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Zambia data come from?: The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Lower secondary school starting age (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Lower secondary school starting age in Zambia. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/lower-secondary-school-starting-age-years/zambia/

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About this data

Indicator: Lower secondary school starting age (years)
Unit: years
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 209 places, 11,411 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed: 17 September 2026

Lower secondary school starting age is the age at which students would enter lower secondary education, assuming they had started at the official entrance age for the lowest level of education, had studied full-time throughout and had progressed through the system without repeating or skipping a grade.