Official entrance age to compulsory education (Official Our World) in Zambia
Zambia: Official entrance age to compulsory education (Official Our World) was 7 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
7
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
1st
of 205 countries
All-time high
7
in 1998
All-time low
7
in 1998
Years of data
28
1998–2025
Official entrance age to compulsory education in Zambia, 1998–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for official entrance age to compulsory education in Zambia is 7, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 28 years on record.
The figure is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, official entrance age to compulsory education in Zambia peaked at 7 in 1998 and was at its lowest, 7, in 1998.
Zambia ranks 1st of 205 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Official entrance age to compulsory education (Official Our World) in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 7 | — |
| 1999 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 7 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 7 | +0.0% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 7 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6, 1.2× the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 7 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 6, 1.2× the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 7 | 7 | 7 | 2 |
| 2000s | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 |
| 2010s | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 |
| 2020s | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 1 Afghanistan 7 compare
- 1 Croatia 7 compare
- 1 Equatorial Guinea 7 compare
- 1 Estonia 7 compare
- 1 Ethiopia 7 compare
- 1 Gambia 7 compare
- 1 Guinea 7 compare
- 1 Indonesia 7 compare
- 1 Liechtenstein 7 compare
- 1 Mali 7 compare
- 1 Namibia 7 compare
- 1 Romania 7 compare
- 1 Russia 7 compare
- 1 Serbia 7 compare
- 1 South Africa 7 compare
- 1 Suriname 7 compare
- 1 Tajikistan 7 compare
- 1 Tanzania 7 compare
- 1 Uzbekistan 7 compare
More education data for Zambia
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 86.21 (2017)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 96.49 (2024)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is official entrance age to compulsory education in Zambia?
- Official entrance age to compulsory education in Zambia was 7 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest official entrance age to compulsory education recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 7 in 1998.
- What is the lowest official entrance age to compulsory education recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 7 in 1998.
- How does Zambia rank for official entrance age to compulsory education?
- Zambia ranks 1st out of 205 countries with data for 2025.
- Is official entrance age to compulsory education 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 Our World in Data, published as part of Official entrance age to compulsory education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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